Creating Charts: Difference between revisions
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To select a symbol (data series) as active simply click on the data series. | To select a symbol (data series) as active simply click on the data series. | ||
== Merging Data Sources Into a Single Chart == | == Merging Data Sources Into a Single Chart == |
Revision as of 14:30, 9 August 2024
A chart is a graphical representation of price movements of a security, commodity, currency pair, or other financial instrument over a specific period. Charts are fundamental tools used by traders and investors to analyze and predict future price movements based on historical data.
In MultiCharts a chart is created for a financial instrument, designated by a ticker, such as @ES, BTCUSD, AAPL.
How to Create a Chart
To create a chart:
- In the main MultiCharts window go to File → New → Chart Window.
- Choose the desired instrument from the list on the Instrument tab or add a new symbol from the data source via the Add Symbol button → select the category tab → enter the symbol name or symbol root in the Symbol field → press Lookup.
- Choose the necessary Chart Type and Settings in the Settings tab:
- Chart Resolution – by default it is set to 1 Minute.
- Quote Field – by default it is set to Trade.
- Sessions – Default session will be used.
- Data Range – by default it is set to 80 Bars Back.
- Time Zone – by default it is set to Exchange.
- Customize your chart appearance in the Style and Scaling tabs:
- Chart Style – by default it is set to OHLC bars.
- Chart Scaling – by default it is set to Screen.
- Click OK.
Creating Chart Using Format Instruments Window
To create a new chart using Format Instruments window:
- Open the Format Instruments window.To open the Format Instruments window, click the Format Instruments icon on the main toolbar;
if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button.
The Format Instruments window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
- Position the mouse pointer over the symbol's data series; double-click once the Pointer changes into a Hand ;
- Position the mouse pointer over the symbol's data series; once the Pointer changes into a Hand right-click and then click Format Symbol Name;
- Right-click on an empty area of the chart and then click Format Instruments; if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button;
- Select Format in the main menu and click Instrument; if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button. - Select the Instrument tab.
- Select a data feed from the Data Source drop-down list box.
- Select a symbol from the list of available symbols in All Instruments tab, or use the category tabs to list only a particular category of symbols; the list can be sorted by any column, in ascending or descending order, by clicking on the column header.
If you can't find a symbol, see Adding Symbols to Symbol List. - Double-click the symbol, or click OK, to create a chart with the default settings.
Understanding Multi-Symbol Charts
It is possible to add several data series to the same Chart Window. Each data series in a multi-symbol chart has a unique Data Number. The Data Number is assigned according to the order in which the data series was added to the Chart Window.
Inserting Additional Symbols into a Chart Window
To insert an additional symbols’ data series into a Chart Window, click the Insert Instrument icon on the main toolbar.
Additional data series can also be inserted by one of the following methods:
- Use the F5 key.
- Select Insert in the main menu and click Instrument.
- Right-click on the chart area and then click Insert Instrument.
- If the Chart Window already contains more then one data series, right-click on the chart area, then click Format Instruments, and click the Add button.
Deleting Symbols from a Multi-Symbol Chart
Any of the symbols (data series) can be deleted from a multi-symbol Chart Window, except for the first symbol that was added (the symbol with the Data # 1).
To delete a symbol (data series), right-click on the chart area and then click Format Instruments; in the Format Objects window that appears, select the data series that is to be deleted and click the Remove button.
Data series can also be deleted by one of the following methods:
- Position the mouse pointer over the data series that is to be deleted; once the Pointer changes into a Hand , right-click and then click Remove Series.
- Position the mouse pointer over the data series that is to be deleted; once the Pointer changes into a Hand , click on the data series and then press the Delete key on the keyboard.
Selecting the Active Symbol (Data Series) in a Multi-Symbol Chart
In a multi-symbol Chart Window only one of the data series at a time is active. The active data series is the data series to which any changes will be applied. Any one of the data series in a multi-symbol chart can be selected as active at any time.
Before making changes to a particular symbol's chart within a multi-symbol Chart Window you should first make sure that it is the active symbol (data series).
The first symbol (data series) added to a multi-symbol Chart Window is the active symbol by default.
To select a symbol (data series) as active simply click on the data series.
Merging Data Sources Into a Single Chart
In some instances real-time data and historical data must be obtained from two separate data sources. A real-time data source and a historical data source can be merged into a single chart.
To create a new chart:
- Make sure that Merging is enabled in Preferences window.
- Open the Format Instruments window.To open the Format Instruments window, click the Format Instruments icon on the main toolbar;
if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button.
The Format Instruments window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
- Position the mouse pointer over the symbol's data series; double-click once the Pointer changes into a Hand ;
- Position the mouse pointer over the symbol's data series; once the Pointer changes into a Hand right-click and then click Format Symbol Name;
- Right-click on an empty area of the chart and then click Format Instruments; if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button;
- Select Format in the main menu and click Instrument; if the Format Objects window appears, select the symbol and click the Format button. - Select the Instrument tab.
- Check Merge Data Sources into a Single Chart check box.
- From the For drop-down list box, select History.
- Select a data feed for the historical data from the Data Source drop-down list box.
- Select a symbol from the list of available symbols in All Instruments tab, or use the category tabs to list only a particular category of symbols; the list can be sorted by any column, in ascending or descending order, by clicking on the column header.
If you can't find a symbol, see Adding Symbols to Symbol List. - From the For drop-down list box, select RealTime.
- Select a data feed for the real-time data from the Data Source drop-down list box.
- Select a symbol from the list of available symbols in All Instruments tab, or use the category tabs to list only a particular category of symbols; the list can be sorted by any column, in ascending or descending order, by clicking on the column header.
If you can't find a symbol, see Adding Symbols to Symbol List - Double-click the symbol, or click OK, to create a chart with default settings.
Creating Charts Using the Command Line Toolbar
One new chart (if there are no charts in the current workspace) can be created by entering the symbol parameters into the Command Line toolbar.
If the symbol name is known, the simplest way to create a new chart is to enter the symbol name and all known symbol parameters into the command line. Any omitted symbol parameters will automatically be selected, and the symbol plotted.
By default, the Command Line toolbar is displayed docked to the top of the application window. If the toolbar is not displayed, it may have been hidden.
Symbol parameters consist of the Symbol Name, Data Source, Category, and Exchange parameters. Depending on the data source and the symbol category, one or more parameters are required in order to precisely identify the symbol to be plotted.
Automatic Selection of Omitted Symbol Parameters
MultiCharts simplifies the process of symbol selection by automatically selecting, whenever possible, any omitted symbol parameters, by analyzing the Symbol Name.
Automatic selection of omitted symbol parameters is based on both the Symbol Name and on the Data Source.
Once specified a single time, the Data Source will be selected automatically if DataSource parameter is not specified.
Entering a symbol name alone is often sufficient to create a chart for a stock. For example, a plot for Google, Inc. can be created by simply typing goog into the command line toolbar; all the other parameters will be selected automatically. However, for some symbol categories and data sources, additional parameters may be required in order to precisely identify the symbol to be plotted.
If the exact symbol name is not known, but only the symbol description or the symbol root, or if plotting the symbol through the command line does not work, QuoteManager can be used to search for and identify the correct symbol.
Entering Symbol Parameters Into a Command Line
Symbol parameters are entered in the following format:
DataSource: SymbolName; Exchange; Category
- If DataSource parameter is not specified, SymbolName parameter does not have to be preceded by a colon.
- In neither Exchange nor Category parameters are specified, SymbolName does not have to be followed by a semicolon.
- If Category parameter is not specified, Exchange parameter does not have to be followed by a semicolon.
- If Exchange parameter is not specified, and Category parameter immediately follows the SymbolName parameter, two semicolons must separate SymbolName and Category parameters (SymbolName; Category).
DataSource – an optional parameter; describes the data source.
This parameter is specified by the Data Source abbreviation:
Data Source Name | Abbreviation |
---|---|
ASCII Mapping | ASC |
Barchart.com | BC |
Binance | BNC |
Binance.US | BUS |
Bitfinex | BFX |
BitMEX | BMX |
ByBit | BBT |
CQG | CQG |
CSI | CSI |
Deribit | DBT |
Dukascopy | DUK |
eSignal | ES |
Free Quotes | F |
GAIN Capital | GC |
GlobalServer | GS |
Interactive Brokers | IB |
IQFeed | IQ |
Kraken | KRK |
LMAX | LM |
Market Data Sim | SIM |
MCFX | FX |
Metastock | MS |
OANDA | ODA |
Open E Cry | OEC |
Poloniex | PLX |
Quandl | QDL |
Rithmic 01 | RT |
Saxo Group | SG |
TradeStation | TS |
Trading Technologies | TT |
Trading Technologies 2020 | TT2 |
Universal DDE | DDE |
A list of available data sources and corresponding abbreviations can also be found in the Data Sources window in QuoteManager. To open the Data Sources window in QuoteManager, click the Data Sources icon, or select Tools in the main menu and click Data Sources.
- If DataSource is not specified, the most recently used Data Source will be used.
- If DataSource is not specified and cannot be selected automatically, a Format Instruments window will open.
SymbolName – a required parameter; specifies the symbol name.
- SymbolName parameter is not case-sensitive.
- The maximum symbol name length is 31 characters; longer symbol names will be truncated to 31 characters.
- Symbol name can contain any number of spaces and characters, separated by spaces.
- Spaces at the beginning and at the end of a symbol name are discarded.
Exchange – an optional parameter; specifies the exchange abbreviation.
- Exchange is specified by the exchange abbreviation; the list of available exchanges and corresponding abbreviations can be found in the Exchanges & ECNs window in QuoteManager. To open the Exchanges & ECNs window in QuoteManager, click the Exchanges & ECNs icon, or select Tools in the main menu and click Exchanges & ECNs.
- If the specified exchange abbreviation is not in the Exchanges & ECNs list, a Format Instruments window will open.
- If Exchange parameter is not specified, a default exchange will be selected based on the data source and category (category selection takes place prior to default exchange selection).
Category – an optional parameter; describes the symbol category. It is specified by the category name abbreviation:
Category | Abbreviation |
---|---|
Stock | STK |
Index | IDX |
Future | FUT |
Stock Option | OPT |
Forex | FX |
Bond | B |
Cash | C |
Spread | SPD |
Custom Futures | CF |
Cryptocurrencies | CRY |
Warrants | WAR |
- If the specified Category is not a valid category abbreviation, a Format Instruments window will open.
- If Category is not specified, the symbol name will be analyzed in order to select the symbol category automatically.
Automatic Symbol Category Selection
Symbol category is automatically selected by evaluating the symbol name according to the following rules, in the order that they are listed; once a symbol name satisfies any one rule, a category is assigned and MultiCharts proceeds to exchange selection.
Symbol category is Futures if any of the following is true:
- Symbol name ends with a number.
- Symbol name ends with a #F, preceded by a space.
- Symbol name begins with an @.
- Symbol name begins with a c# (except TradeStation(R) symbols).
Symbol category is Index if any of the following are true:
- Symbol name begins with a $
- Symbol name ends with a .X
Symbol category is Forex if any of the following is true:
- Symbol name ends with a -FX
- Symbol name contains any two different sets of the following combinations of letters:
EUR, USD, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, HKD, KRW, SEK, MXN, NOK, PLZ, CZK, ILS, HUF, MXP, NZD, PLN, RUR, BRE, USS, SKK, TWD, SIT, SGD, RUB, SON, MTL, LVL, LTL, SEK, HRK, EEK, DKK, CYP
If the Category cannot be selected automatically, Stock category will be selected; category selection takes place prior to default exchange selection.
Sample Entries and Corresponding Parameters
Command Line Entry | Data Source* | Symbol | Exchange | Category |
---|---|---|---|---|
IQ:@ES# | IQFeed | @ES# | UNDEF | Futures |
IQ:NUH8 | NUH8 | UNDEF | Futures | |
IQ:ADR.X | ADR.X | UNDEF | Indexes | |
IB:ESH8 | IB | ESH8 | GLOBEX | Futures |
IB:MSFT | MSFT | SMART | Stock | |
IB:EUR.USD | EUR.USD | IDEALPRO | Cash | |
TS:ESH08 | TS | ESH08 | CME | Futures |
TS:AUDCAD | AUDCAD | FOREX | Forex | |
TS:$TSTOP | $TSTOP | NASDAQ | Indexes | |
TS:@ES | @ES | CME | Futures |