I am more and more interested in designing and engineering my own frame designs. Can anyone recommend a course of action I might take to be able to do so, for instance what programs to acquire, etc...?? Is this a ridiculous notion ? It is just that I can not seem to find decent plans anywhere without hiring a company to design and engineer them and then insist on building them for a high price, all the things I would enjoy doing myself and can not afford to hire someone else to do.

you could make like a farmer and get some graph paper, a good pencil, a ruler and a compass(oops, don't forget an eraser). cheap way to start. the best lesson I've learned in drawing lately is not to draw in timber dimensions initally, just use simple lines. It is much faster to draw this way, and you can fill in the timbers once you are satisfied with the structure. Try to start with the most obvious lines first, like the line at the bottom of the posts, the outside of the walls and roof....

I encourage you to give design a try, whether on paper or in cyberspace.

I play around a little bit doing drawings for buildings that I want to put up on my farm. It is fun, even if they aren't very good. I always look at barns that have stood the test of time, that way the structural engineering has already been done for me. I would certainly want any of my plans looked over before I built however. When my friend went to get the building permit for the barn he moved to his property he was almost denied becuase he had no plans for the barn. He told the building inspector that the barn stood for 200 years, it must be an ok design and he got his permit.

Used pro quality drafting machines can be found at very reasonable prices, they are a great aid.

Also try model building. An inch to the foot scale works fine for small buildings. You would also need a scale with inches divided to twelfths, dovetail saw, hot melt glue or a brad setter. You can make rapid changes that suit the eye.

Go to workshops and TFG conferences, meet, work and learn.

Learn the form of the old buildings of your area.

If you need engineering and you will, get a professional review.

Before you leap into CAD or 3D modeling software, try taking some course work at a community college. Try stuff out before you buy. Under the "tools" menu in "learn more" Dietrich's is offering a 2D drafting program for free download.

Due to the irregularity of logs I generally only work out the overall dimensions along the theoretical centerlines of the roof components. Using a blend of trigonometry and geometry I develop all the surfaces and create 3D Models of the proposed joint details.
As a rule there are two models for each joint, a model of the first or principal compound angle detailing the square cuts or whatever further layouts are required, and a second model of the finished joint. It's a huge asset in the field to be able to visualize what one is shooting for and see the relationships between all the faces. Sure beats working from drawings!

Thank you for your replies. I actually have been drawing frames for quite some time though, in addition to analyzing my local historic barn and house frames. Though I have a long way to go, I feel that I have a good sense of design and timber frame design basics. I was thinking more along the lines of what Ed Levin demonstrates in the "red book" of punching in his design into a computer engineering program and seeing if the frame is engineered under the restricted guidelines, making further adjustments( raising the roof pitch,upsizing a beam,etc...). In addition, I would like to eventually be able to have the frame drawn up to be able to present to building officials. I guess that is where the drafting machines would come to play? I will try to find a program that would suit my needs and inexperience, but if anyone has any recommendations that would be additionally helpful. Thanks again. tb