MultiCharts: Trading Software for Automated Trading and Backtesting

geektrader

Do this:

1) Uninstall MC.

2) Search for all entries of "NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation" in your registry (regedit.exe) and set them all to "0"

4) Reboot (important!)

5) Reinstall MC, now studies should compile fine.

geektrader

Chaoshunter looks interesting, didn´t know this one yet! If anyone else knows some products like this, let the links flow

geektrader

Hello, since I got this email a few days ago with this interesting Strategy Builder for Easylanguage and haven´t anyone seen discussing it here yet, I thought it might be interesting to most of us Multicharts users as well. Have a look at: http://www.adaptrade.com/Builder-main.htm Here is what it is...

geektrader

Here is a basic StopAndReverse that I´ve coded. Maybe it´s a starting point for you: input: StopAndReverseDollar(500); If MarketPosition=1 and positionprofit < -StopAndReverseDollar then Sell Short ("StopAndReverseL") Next Bar at Market; If MarketPosition=-1 and positionprofit < -StopAndReverseDolla...

geektrader

Thanks a lot, that´s a nice one, didn´t know you could code such complicated formulas in the custom optimization!

Do you have more custom fitness functions for MC?

Thanks a lot again!

geektrader

No. But I also would like this feature. This would for example be good to turn auto-trading on / off basing on equity curve momentum.

geektrader

Yes, I do it this way: Add To Inputs Section: input: Pause_Start( 1650 ); input: Pause_End( 1739 ); input: Pause_Start2 ( 2350 ); input: Pause_End2 ( 2359 ); input: Pause_Start3 ( 0000 ); input: Pause_End3 ( 0039 ); var: Trade(false); Before your current code you add: Trade=( Time < Pause_Start Or T...

geektrader

You are out of luck. Only in TWS you can display daily bars this far back. Multicharts has to get it´s data via the API of IB, and that provides only ~1 year of data for each currency pair.

geektrader

Hi, today I wanted to share a function that tells you the profit/loss you´ve made TODAY. It will reset at 0:00 to 0. The function is useful for daily profit/loss goals, just as an example. //Function: ProfitToday variables: var0( 0 ) ; var0 = 0 ; for Value1 = 0 to 50 begin condition1 = EntryDate( Va...

geektrader

Did anyone find it useful yet?

geektrader

Function: RVI Inputs: Length(NumericSimple); Vars: Num(0), Denom(0), Count(0), RVI(0), Trigger(0); Value1 = ((Close - Open) + 2*(Close[1] - Open[1]) + 2*(Close[2] - Open[2]) + (Close[3] - Open[3]))/6; Value2 = ((High - Low) + 2 * (High[1] - Low[1]) + 2 * (High[2] - Low[2]) + (High[3] - Low[3]))/6; N...

geektrader

In your case you need to DECREASE the Max Bars Back Setting. Your System doesn´t seem to require more than 200 Bars Back, so set the Max Bars Back to 300 (for safety). Now you should be able to get signals already with setting your days back about to 3 or 4 days. What happened in your case: since th...

geektrader

Janus, I absolutely second such a feature. Currently it´s a pain to just optimize one input out of 20 for example. You have to add the current values of all 19 other inputs and fix them, just to optimize one. Terrible and time consuming!

geektrader

Don´t agree exactly because if the software has a good documentation support will be kept to a minimum. Which brings us to the the current biggest issue of Multicharts, the lack of a good documentation, that also is pretty much out of date. I agree that this will increase support needs because a lot...

geektrader

While you are right Bruce, you cannot take it a given thing that everyone knows what he is doing upfront. If you buy a new car, are you directly thinking about what happens when you want to sell it at the time you purchase it? I find that true for software too. Most likely he never thought about the...

geektrader

I can tell you that most of my apps that did heavy calculations go a LOT faster in 64bit, because only then my 64bit CPU is actually used to it´s full extend, double the amount of iterations is possible per second compared to 32bit. And on a Quad Core this is massively noticeable. I for example just...

geektrader

I know all those words Andrew, thanks a lot. Problem still is, you can´t FORCE the optimizer to not allow Draw Downs Bigger than what you specify. One could set a Java-Script and take into account Draw Down by a custom optimization criteria, but even with that you cannot FORCE the optimizer to not a...

geektrader

This is a pretty difficult topic, because courts see it different to your agreement (Autodesk as an example here):

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/AutoCAD-Aut ... -4806.html

geektrader

This it not a strategy on it´s own,but something to add when optimizing your strategy with the Optimizer. The purpose of this is to only optimize for results that have a Max Intraday Draw Down of XX Dollar (whatever you specify). Since the optimizer doesn´t allow such an option yet like MT allows it...

geektrader

I just wanted to know if there are any plans for a NATIVE 64bit version of MC yet? I think this will be pretty nice for backtesting-speed and especially memory-allocation problems with huge tick-charts.

geektrader

I am on Windows 7 as well. Just run a search on your C drive for "TSSTORAGE.GDB", the folder where this file is in, is where the databases are in.

geektrader

I´ve just coded a Range Pivot Stop ( http://ripetrade.blogspot.com/2008/10/pivits-how-to-buy-and-sell.html ) as an exit strategy to an existing trading system. Please take note that the traditional Range Pivot Stop uses yesterdays High / Low to calculate the range. But since I trade intraday, I´ve f...

geektrader

You could code Iceberg orders by yourself in Easylanguage, that shouldn´t be a problem as long as you set the max contracts high enough.

geektrader

Happy with DRM, never had a problem and even if DRM didn´t work, Multicharts continued to work fine until DRM was back. Don´t want to hookup additional hardware as well and don´t pay anything extra for that. I´ve always hated dongles. And since I run Multicharts on a VPS, a dongle is anyway no optio...

geektrader

Well, I can only say that "entryprice" always works fine for me as my exit strategies are also based on it solely.That is for automated EUR/USD trading though. You can do this, let the system open a trade and add a print (entryprice); Then look at the output and see if it prints the correct entrypri...

geektrader

Would also like to know how to use this and implement into existing strategies since I often have the problem that the auto-trading messes up positions sometimes.

geektrader

You are doing this a bit wrong, entryprice - 2 would, just as an example, for Forex mean Entryprice (let´s say 1.5242) - 2 = you want to sell when the price is at at -0.5. Which makes no sense. You need to use Entryprice - 2 points So your formula would look like: If marketposition = 1 then sell("My...

geektrader

I am pretty happy with Interactive Brokers. You can trade almost anything, including Forex, and the data-feed is good quality as well is the historical data for Forex (1 year of tick-data can be downloaded, bid and ask separated). Execution of orders is fast and slippage low + pricing fair.

geektrader

There is no "Full Stochastic". Stochastic always consists of FastK SlowK FastD and FastK, if you combine them together, you will have 4 "lines" in the indicator. But there is no "single line" "full stochastic" indicator.

geektrader

I think with labeling the entries this should work fine. Try it out.

geektrader

The "bug" has been fixed, I accidently had different session-times for Bid/Ask. Setting both of them to the same session-times, Ask/Bid is correctly taken into account for backtesting. Thanks TS Support Team for the quick help.

geektrader

Hi, I just wanted to know if there is anyone out there trading Forex automatic with Multicharts sucessfully? I find it really difficult to create a successful auto-trading strategy in MC, struggling with it one year already. In backtesting things always look perfect, but in reality the slippage and ...

geektrader

It´s a mystery to me as well, just like VERY many functions introduced since 5.0. The documentation/help of MC is totally outdated and most of the new functions are really a mystery. I could go on with what the "Recalculate on Broker Event" settings do and how they affect auto-trading for example. T...

geektrader

A strange thing I´ve just noticed is that on 1-Minute Bars it DOES calculate the backtesting corretly and using Ask/Bid makes a difference to just using a single series. However, from 2-Minute Bars and up it makes no difference which backtesting mode is used. Really strange bug. Has someone looked i...

geektrader

Yes, and that is actually the problem. Regardless what you do, after re-compiling the signal, even if the amount / names of inputs haven´t changed, the settings for optimization will be reseted. That should really be made more comfortable.

geektrader

You have to use different labels for all exits being used. E.g. you can´t use "My Target" as a label for an exit more than 1 time. This compiles and works correctly: var: MovingAverageFast(0); MovingAverageFast=xaverage(close, 10); buy("My Buy") next bar (MovingAverageFast) limit; sell("My Target") ...

geektrader

Hello, since MC 6 Beta 1 the "Extended Backtesting" (using Ask/Bid to base calculations for backtesting on) doesn´t seem to have any effect anymore. I always get the exact same backtesting-results down to the cent when using either Single Data Series OR Extended basing on Bid / Ask, though the sprea...

geektrader

Although this question has been asked many times here already, I confirm again that MC runs fine for me on Windows 7 X64 Ultimate.

geektrader

He means something different: each time you optimize a strategy and then return at a later time to optimize again, the values for optimization are saved. However, IF you recompile the study in-between 2 optimizations, the second time all values previously used for optimization are lost and have to b...

geektrader

Hi, today I wanted to share a exit strategy with you that has greatly improved overall performance for almost any system I am using. My recommendation is: add it to your existing trading-strategy and then use the Genetic Optimizer to find optimal values for both optimizable inputs for improving your...

geektrader

Solution is pretty easy:

1) Open QuoteManager
2) Click on Tools - Data Sources
3) Select Interactive Brokers and press "Settings" on the right side.
4) Check "Regular Trading Hours" and "Don´t request Data for empty periods".

Much fun backfilling and merry christmas:)

geektrader

"Log into your IB accounts at any time of the day or night (including weekends) with uninterrupted access to TWS, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For information on scheduled updates during which TWS may be unavailable for several minutes, see the System Status page under the Help & Contacts link."

geektrader

Yes, this was indeed the problem with the IB Server. Now everything backfills fine:)

geektrader

I am not sure as for the copying, BUT, I can tell you that since a few weeks, IB has the historical market data server turned on all weekend. Currently it´s saturday and I have just downloaded the last 2 weeks of tick-data for EURUSD from Interactive Brokers. The Market Data Farm + Historical Data S...

geektrader

In version 6.0 Beta 1 the following happens when trying to backfill recent tick-data (1 second) from Interactive Brokers for EUR.USD via IdealPro (worked fine in 5.5 just an hour ago): [12/19/2009 05:47:20] Data request for EUR.USD IDEALPRO CASH USD 1 Day Ask [ 12/15/2009 04:47:20 - 12/19/2009 04:47...

geektrader

Hi,

I am testing a strategy on EURUSD (5 digits), and using a simple

print(close);

When now looking at the Output the print command generates, it only shows

1.48

while it is supposed to show 1.48XXX

How can I manage it displays all digits behind the dot?

Thank you.

geektrader

Hull Moving Average for Multicharts is over here:

http://trader.online.pl/ELZ/t-i-Hull_Mo ... erage.html

Works fine for me.

geektrader

Have a look at http://forum.tssupport.com/viewtopic.php?t=6828 it gives pretty linear equity curves.

geektrader

+1 Vote for such a feature!

geektrader

I had a similiar problem before in a "FOR X"-loop. It was not with print command though. Might be a bug in the FOR loop within MC.

geektrader

Would it be possible to add a function TradeTime_s which returns Hours + Minutes + SECONDS additional to the already existing TradeTime which only returns Hours + Minutes? I do need this for one of my strategies but don´t want to use currenttime_s since the computer-clock could run slightly differen...

geektrader

var: DayTrueHigh(0);

if CloseD(1) > HighD(0) then
DayTrueHigh = CloseD(1)
else
DayTrueHigh = HighD(0);

geektrader

MC is still a 32bit application (even if you run it on a 64bit system, I do as well) it can only use max of around 3,5gig of memory since that´s the limit of 32bit allocatable address-space. Hence I hope for a 64bit version of MC as well as it would remove those memory-limits for real complex indica...

geektrader

Just wanted to share the Fitness Function which I am using with nice results for a while (high net profit with very "clean" and straight equity curve, low draw-downs): if (StrategyPerformance.MaxStrategyDrawDown != 0) { if (StrategyPerformance.GrossLoss != 0) { return 1000000 * StrategyPerformance.N...

geektrader

That is to bad that they don´t take such a serious bug seriously. Gonna have to look for another trading-software if nothings changes soon...

geektrader

Long time no reply to this thread, but I see the bug hasn´t been fixed. Today there was a typical situation which shows this bug again. My automated strategy was running and submitted a "buy 80000" order at 11:15:28, then a Profit-Target (Sell 80000) order at 11:19.38. The Sell order didn´t get fill...

geektrader

Although this has been asked like 20 times in the last month, I can only answer it again and say that MC 5.5 is rock-stable for me with Windows 7 Ultimate X64 (using it every day for live trading).

geektrader

Though MC is only available in 32bit at the moment, I can confirm that it runs absolutely fine on Windows 7 X64.

geektrader

MC works fine here on Windows 7 Ultimate X64. Looks like you are having a problem with TS rather than MC.

geektrader

After a week on Windows 7 Ultimate X64, I can only say that Multicharts has been running countinously for 4 days now, optimizing, auto-trading, etc, everything works perfectly here.

geektrader

You can download Tradesignal for trial on their website. Will post screenshots ASAP.

geektrader

This is not normal. Tradesignal does use all 4 cores of my Quad Core for the same Strategy as in Multicharts and it is definetely calculating faster in Tradesignal. Should be addressed in my opinion, since currently all the cores are only used when optimizing.

geektrader

I can confirm that MC 5.5 Beta 5 works like a charm in Windows 7 Ultimate X64

geektrader

Andrew, just have a look at the Equity Curve with Drawdown, there is no Drawdown bigger than 500$.

geektrader

Hi, in MC 5.5 Beta 5 the Max Drawdown is still being reported wrong in the Strategy Performance Report. As you can see, it says for "All Trades" the Max Drawdown is $5XX, but for Long/Short it says $11000 / $14000 Max Drawdown. Though neither in the List of Trades nor in the Equity Curve such a Draw...

geektrader

Yes, we had a thread about that, about that GA only used 4 cores at the start, then only 1 after a few percent of optimization. You are indeed right that it uses all 4 cores now all the time, VERY nice! Thank you.

geektrader

You anyway can´t open MC more than 1 time. But it utilizes all available cores of the CPU, so all good:)

geektrader

VERY nice and this is exactly my setup indeed, IE8 and Quad Core CPU. So we will see a fix soon?

geektrader

Interesting, you mean multi-CPU-core compatible? Well, I´ve used "One" and it still always used all my 4 cores of my CPU most of the time.

One did bring better NetProfit values quicker than Two, whyever that is.

geektrader

Hello,

in MC 5.5 Beta 4 the "Offspring Number" (one or two) in the Genetic Optimizer has disappeared for user-choice and now seems to be fixed to "Two". However, I´ve always used "One" with better results for the Offspring Number. Can you bring that option back please?

Thank you.

geektrader

Hi, when backtesting a strategy that uses only(!) limit orders for the buy/sell orders, the slippage set in the "Strategy Properties" shouldn´t have any effect since limit orders are only filled at the price they are limited to OR better! Still, when backtesting, the slippage set in the "Strategy Pr...

geektrader

Have you tried using "CurrentBar" or "Time" for your morning-startup routine?

You could do something like

if time=0845 then begin

indicator1=0;
indicator2=0;
indicator2=0;

end;

or the same with Currentbar:

if currentbar=1 then begin

indicator1=0;
indicator2=0;
indicator2=0;

end;

geektrader

Hi, when running a automated strategy live and having "Sync" mode enabled, the entry/exit prices displayed in the "Strategy Performance Report" are actually the real prices that the order was executed at by the broker. But still the Slippage that was entered in the "Strategy Properties" is being sub...

geektrader

I am also using Bid/Ask for the Auto-trading, if that might be the cause...

geektrader

It can easily be reproduced this way for example: Turn on "Pre-Cautions" within TWS and also enabled those for the API. Then run a strategy and once it sends it first order, TWS will ask if you want to turn off "Pre-Cautions" for the API. Wait about 5 Minutes and then click "Yes" and see what happen...

geektrader

Oh I actually got this bug confirmed by Dennis. What´s up now?

geektrader

That´s not what I tried to say, I believe that you can´t reproduce it, but for me it really happens with any strategy, that´s the problem for me. What else could it be on my end that is causing this? I am really out of ideas.

geektrader

Hi Andrew, the funny thing is, it happens for EVERY strategy I use, whatever indicator, just doesn´t matter. For any strategy I optimize with a custom fitness function this occurs for me since version 5.0. You can for example take the MACD LE and MACD SE, there it happens for me as well. Really for ...

geektrader

You should provide some more details and possibly a screenshot, otherwise I am sure noone can help or fix the bug if it is a bug if you don´t provide a bit more detailed description.

geektrader

Hi, can someone confirm that when using a Custom Fitness Function for Genetic Optimization that Multcharts crashses/hangs after the Optimization has finished and after applying the settings of any combination from the Optimization Report? Because thats the case for me since 5.0 Optimization runs thr...

geektrader

Marina, I see what you are saying, but apart from Trades entered on Bar 1 and on the last Bar of the test-range, the inbetween trade should be identical. Look at my 2 screenshots, there are trades that are somewhere in-between for both "days back" values and should hence be identical, which they are...

geektrader

And a simple example code for that would be:

-----------------------

input: ADXperiod(30), ADXTrigger(30);

condition1=false;
condition1=ADX(ADXperiod) > ADXTrigger;

If condition1 then buy next bar at market;
if condition1=false then sell next bar at market;

geektrader

Yes, there should be a better manual, but I though find it nice to see them working on the functionality so hard as this is the most important thing and there are still enough bugs (just only today I posted 3 bug reports hehe);)

Good luck Synonym.

geektrader

The default parameters like the exit signal are always there, even if the strategy doesn´t use any. It´s just for setting the "look" of the entry + exit signal, SHOULD the underlying strategy have any.

geektrader

Hello. In MC 5.5 Beta 3 there is a bug with the Genetic Optimizer with "VERY MUCH" combinations. When having to many combinations, the Genetic Optimizer doesn´t optimize correctly anymore. In MC 5.5 Beta 2 this bug was not present, just Beta 3 did introduce it. As you can see on Screenshot 1, my str...

geektrader

You DO need a exit strategy or at least a Long + Short Trigger. If you only have a Long OR a Short Trigger, you will only get 1 trade as you have it now because the position never changes.

geektrader

P.S.: The last trade on the "missingtradescompare.gif" can be ignored since it of course is a open trade.

geektrader

Hello, this is a bug I wanted to report for a long time, just didn´t have the time to do so as it is a somewhat complicated one. I noticed it from Multicharts 5.0 and up. This bug applies for almost ANY strategy and ANY timeframe, so you can easily test it by yourself. My setup is this: a custom str...

geektrader

In MC 5.5 Beta 3 a bug I´ve previously reported is still there. I am optimizing a strategy that is running on the 1 minute chart and have the Bar-Magnifier enabled and set to 1 Tick resolution. Now when running a genetic optimization, I get very "nice" (unfortunately to nice!) results (see Screensho...

geektrader

It´s clear that you only get one entry, that´s because you haven´t defined any exits. Your Strategy currently enters a position when the MA crosses whatever you specified, but then nothing more happens since you didn´t specify an exit and this initital position stays open forever. You need to add at...

geektrader

I can confirm this as well, whenever I cleared the cache and use "Delete Data" afterwards, then opened "Edit data" in Quotemanager and it was not showing any data anymore for the symbol, it still had data left when re-plotting the chart afterwards. There is definetely something wrong here with MC no...

geektrader

Hi, I´ve tried several times to use the Walk Forward Optimizer in Genetic-Mode. I did set Population Size to 100 and Max Generations to 1000, nevertheless when the Optimization starts it shows like 1 Trillion of combinations it wants to test. In normal mode, when using no walk forward, it is correct...

geektrader

Great to hear that this will be worked on. Basic Optimization is not an option for me as I have combinations in the Trillions range;) Thanks Andrew.

geektrader

Hi,

the custom fitness function I´ve always used in Multicharts (5.0) is no more working in 5.5 Beta 2, it says "Unknown Char" when entering my fitness function I´ve always used just fine with 5.0. See screenshot.

geektrader

Yes, I also only use the Genetic Optimizer since my Neural Network Strategy has heaps of inputs. Anyway, you can try this on a smaller-input strategy and compare it. The "Exhausive Search" always uses all 4 Core´s from the start to the end of Optimization, only the "Genetic Optimizer" is having this...

geektrader

No it´s not OCed and the computer is self-built. However, other applications, as well as the "Exhausive Search" from Multicharts do utilize all 4 Core´s permanently without problems. Only the Genetic Optimizer within Multicharts creates this problem, and not only for me as you see.

geektrader

With this low time-frames you usually do scalping (e.g. having a profit target and stop loss of just a few pips). That being said; I trade a Neuronal Network Strategy on the 5 Seconds chart on the EURUSD through Interactive Brokers.

geektrader

Attached are 2 screenshots where you can see that for the first few percent of genetic optimization all 4 Core´s are being used. Then after some percent, it drops down to only 25% load and estimated time left increases. Interesting is: this doesn´t happen with Exhausive Search! There all 4 Core´s ar...

geektrader

I am having this problem as well. Sometimes when TWS is disconnected from Market Data Server, TWS still tries to send an order and if it doesn´t get executed within a few seconds, it resends this order over and over. Then when TWS is back online, it executes ALL the orders TWS sent in the inactive p...

geektrader

I can absolutely confirm this. I am having a Quad Core CPU as well and for about the first 10 to 20% of Genetic Optimization all 4 Core´s are being used, then only 1 core and Estimated Time Left from this point does about quadrable. I´ve already reported this a while ago as a bug but never got an an...

Search found 100 matches

Found this: Adaptrade Builder

[Code] Daily Profit/Loss Target

[Code] For Optimizer: allow a specific MaxDrawDown only

Native 64bit version anytime soon?

[Code] (Moving) Range Pivot Stop

Anyone auto-trading Forex successfully?

Serious Bug, Spread not taken into account on backtesting

Exit Strategy after X-Bars taking in account Profit

TWS Now Available 24/7

Bug(?) when backfilling EURUSD Tickdata on IB

Print(Close), only 2 digits on on Forex

Function request: TradeTime_s additional to TradeTime

A Good Custom Fitness Function

[Bug] MC 5.5 Beta 5, Still Wrong Max Drawdown

MC 5.5 Beta 4 - where has Offspring Number gone?

Strategy Backtesting Slippage on Limit Orders?

Logic Bug Slippage

Bug? Crash/Hang when using Custom Fitness Function

[Bug Report] MC 5.5 Beta 3, Genetic Optimizer "overload

[Bug Report] Different Trades when changing Days Back

[Bug Report] MC 5.5 Beta 3 Intrabar Optimization

Walk Forward Optimizer Bug 5.5 Beta 3?

Custom Fitness Function not working in 5.5 Beta2