GENERAL CHART INFORMATION
The Feature menu is the access point to the chart's analysis tools and technical indicators. To learn more about each Menu item listed in the image above, click on the corresponding item as listed in the Table of Contents to the left.
The Toolbar is a group of icons that act as short cuts to frequently used features. Here is a listing of what each icon does:
- Draw Line Click on the icon once to activate feature, click on the icon again to deactivate.
- Display Data Click on Display Data to see value of any point on the chart, using your mouse, right click in the chart. A window will appear with the date, the day's high, low, open, and close prices for that point in the chart. As you move your cursor across the chart, the data for the corresponding points in the chart will be seen in this pop-up box.
- Show Pointer Click on this icon to see the pointer on the chart; re-click to hide the pointer.
- Zoom In Click on this icon to take a closer look at a specific range of information on the chart; you can zoom in on any point. If you continue to click on this icon, you will zoom in even farther.
- Zoom Out Click on this icon, multiple times and return to the original chart view.
- Zoom Scale When you zoom in or out on the chart, you can tell how many times larger or smaller your view is adjusted (e.g. 1 x 4 means the chart is 4 times larger than the initial view). Keep in mind as the chart updates, you will also see data update information in this same place on the chart.
- At a glance, check to see that your chart is connected to the real-time pipeline data feed. The blinking green light identifies that your connection to the data feed is actively updating. If the light turns red, this means the chart has stopped updating. If the light turns red, to go to the Technical Difficulties section.
The Real-time Status Bar combines the Traffic Light with a data feed status clock and a chronometry clock. The data feed clock will change every time the chart receives new data. Use this Status Bar to insure that the data is arriving in real-time and is live. The chronometry clock is strictly for reference, just so you can see the time of day and the time zone in which the chart is being transmitted.
Time zones/clock Information:
By default Charts will choose New York time. The charts are synchronized to match the time from this site:
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5
To change the time zone in the software to the local time zone, you must log out and log back in again to the software. When you log in again, on the login screen select the option, "Local Time". Then when you login, the software retrieves the local time zone information from the user's (your) local computer.
The Y-axis value, on the right side of the chart, is the exchange rate of the symbols selected.
You can also adjust the y-axis. To adjust y-axis:
- Once you click on the y-axis toolbar button you will see, four arrows on the chart. If you click on the outside arrows you will be able to resize the y-axis.
- If you wish to return the y-axis to it original state, click on the two inner arrows until they cannot be pressed any more. This will resize the chart back to the original size.
The X-axis, just below the chart, displays the date and time. As you change the Time Scale & Period, both date and time will adjust accordingly.
Below the X-axis is a series of boxes that make up the Information Bar. The Information Bar provides all chart data in a numeric form.
Figure A: Information Bar
- Figure A: The default setting when you first open the software will care no value, then once you start to move your mouse over the charts, the Information Bar will display the data associated with the placement of your cursor within the chart, see for details on individual points within the chart. If your cursor is outside of the chart, then the Information Bar will reflect the last bar/candle's value that your cursor rested on, when it was on the chart.
- Current Bar/Candle: The last bar or candle on the chart is either cyan (up) colored bar or orange (down) and it moves up and down to reflect the current price. These candles will change color actively as the rates change and will continue forming based on the Time Scale selected. At the end of each interval (e.g. 1 minute, 5 minute, etc.) a new red or blue candle will be drawn and a another cyan/orange candle, or Current Bar/Candle will be generated.
- C: The "C" box will display the value of the updating candle, referred to in the industry as "Last Price" or close. If the rate goes up, it will turn blue if the rate drops the C will turn red. The red colored C corresponds to the orange colored updating candle/bar, while the dark blue C corresponds to the cyan candle, see Figure B.
- Daily Bar/Candle: The Daily Bar begins at [5:00pm ET] and runs through [5:00pm ET] (since FX is a 24-hour market). E.g. for a bar labeled 5/02/02, the open price is the first price we receive right after 5:00 pm on 5/01/2002. The close price is the last price we receive by 5:00 pm on 5/02/02. The high and lows are accumulated between 5:00 pm 5/01/2002 and 5:00 pm 5/02/2002.
- Calculation of Rates: The rates on the charts use calculated close price, which is normally the average of the bid and ask at any point. This is generally the standard for foreign exchange since banks never disclose their last exact trade rates, so the average of bid and ask tells us approximately what the last trading rates will equal.
- Figure C: If you move your cursor inside the chart, the Information Bar will display data for the corresponding point where your cursor rests.
- Each box represents a value that corresponds to where your cursor is on the chart.
- Here is a detailed explanation of the Information Bar:
- Time/Date: Starting on the left, the first box will show the Time and Date, based upon the Time Scale & Period selected for the candle or bar selected.
- Day High: The second box is the High for the selected candle or bar.
- Day Low: The third box is the Low for the selected candle or bar.
- Close Price: The fourth box is the Close price of the selected candle or bar. When looking at the Last Point, the C will change colors as the chart updates with new high and low for that bar or candle.
- Price Value: The fifth box is the Price Value, or Y-axis value. This is particularly useful when drawing trend lines.
The icon enables you to detach a chart so it stands alone. This detached chart can be left open while you use other features. Once you detach the chart, you can enlarge the chart, by resizing the window.