Balloon Framing and Collar Ties in One and Half Story House

[CdnGuy]

I'm trying to re-create my home in HomeDesigner Pro 2018 so I can plan and document our renovations. But I'm running into some trouble because it is a balloon framed one and a half story home.

 

The exterior wall studs are about 13' in length, providing the structure for both the first and second floors. First floor is about 8' to the bottom of the ledger board. Second floor exterior walls are about 4' high.

The rafters are birds-mouthed on to the plate around the second floor.

There is a collar tie about 8' from the floor of the second floor. This is where the ceiling is, but I can't seem to re-create that.

There are no knee walls on the second floor.

 

How can I make the exterior walls on the second story only 4' and have the ceiling be at the collar tie at the 8' mark? I either end up with a 4' ceiling or a vaulted ceiling right now.

 

 

[CdnGuy]

Thank you, Solver.

Signature updated. Of all the technical things I do, CAD is my weakest skill related to construction. Demolition is probably my best.

[CdnGuy]

Nailed it. Thank you again, Solver.

[larogers]

I have this same question (6 years later), but I'm not seeing the answers to to CdnGuy's questions. It looks like "Solver" responded, but those posts aren't here that I see. 

I have an even more basic question too though. To accomplish a balloon frame structure, with rafters that create the 4' exterior wall, with ceiling joists at 8', do I define a second floor in Home Designer Pro or just go to the Wall Specification Structure Panel from the 1st floor view and choose the "Balloon Through Ceiling Above"? I'm not sure how to accomplish this "2nd floor" (or attic?) building structure with it's 6 sides. Is the attic actually a 3rd floor?. I'm 6 days into learning the program. Thank you!

[LostUser]

This is how I did mine:

With these settings on the Floor 1:

So I had to build external walls to make Floor 2

And it creates issues with walls or how they show in 3d:

 

I can live with it, as at least it got the framing close, but for whatever reason it puts the ledger boards on the external side of the wall, and makes windows placement kind of clumsy.

 

Now getting framing close enough to build a material list?  I may have to resort to graph paper and a pencil.  

[larogers]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and provide your solution. I am learning much from a few folks that replied. It's interesting how you created your second floor walls. It looks like a solution that would work for my purposes. You probably don't need this information any more, but EricOnChiefArchitect send me a video explaining a way to get the ledger boards in the inside and the floor joists on top of them. Here's his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESHdGp0MhOY. Again, thanks for your reply. It looks like you've got a nice place there. I like your window design on the top floor and might use that idea. Best regards, Laurel