Hi Joey,
I found nothing controversial in your thoughts and most timber frame designers and engineers would welcome input from all directions into this type of subject.
There are probably probably two distinct approached taken to timber frame design.
The first is pattern based where the designer chooses to use a well tried building pattern and long established timber sizing criteria. This will generally result in a creditable design. Building codes and regulations tend to follow this method and this might be likened to a "prescriptive" approach to building.
The second is where the rule book runs out and the designer is forced to become engineer in order to figure out from first principals just how the building is to be shaped, sized and configured.
As Dirty Harry would say " A man's got to know his limitations" and hence depending or your education, capability and understanding of theory and use of software it might be prudent to develop a general recognition and understanding of just how far that you can take things yourself before needing to seek help.
Help can come in many forms and attending local college classes can help improve understanding of engineering matters just as reading a good reference book may lift some clouds and of course you could attend a TFG conference class. A TFG conference class has quite a rarity value attached to it because few college professors will have spent that much time in understanding timber frame specifics (present company excepted - Dick !) and thus the designer is afforded the opportunity to listen and compare thoughts expressed by others with your own thoughts. This might give you confidence about your abilities or otherwise and hence if you are serious about learning then you might have to face up to undertaking some more formal course of study for self improvement.
Its never too late to learn and I would hope that TFG classes whether simple or complex are all to be seen as useful building blocks (or is it beams ?.
I would not want to exclude anybody from their peer group if they have a genuine interest to learn.
Regards
Ken Hume P.Eng.
