Indicator Scaling

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The Scale is located on the left or/and on the right side of the chart, and consists of a vertical line with marks, indicating values, and identified by Labels. The values on the scale are specific to the indicator plotted on the chart. The scale represents the value range, within which the indicator is plotted. To determine the value of a point on a chart, the vertical position of the point is referenced to a value on the scale.

The Range of the scale and the top and bottom Margins can be set. The Labels, identifying scale's marks, can be customized. A Linear or a Semi-Log (percent-of-change) type of scaling can be chosen.


Setting Scaling Range

Five types of the Indicator Scaling Range can be selected: Screen, Entire Series, User Defined, Movements Size or Same as Instrument.


Screen Scaling Range

The range of the Screen scale is equal to the range of the plot segment that is actually visible in the Chart Window. Scrolling the chart along the time axis, so that another plot segment, with a different range, becomes visible, will cause the range of the Screen scale to be adjusted accordingly.

Scaling range can be set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Range section, choose the Screen option from the list.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Entire Series Scaling Range

The range of the Entire Series scale is equal to the range of the indicator’s entire plot, including any part of the plot that extends beyond the segment actually visible in the Chart Window. Scrolling the chart along the time axis will not cause the range of the Entire Series scale to be adjusted.

Scaling range can be set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Range section, choose the Entire Series option from the list.
Note: Entire Series scaling range can not be used as a default.


User Defined Scaling Range

The range of the User Defined scale is set by the user. A part of the plot that falls outside of the defined range will not be displayed in the Chart Window.

Scaling range can be set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Range section, choose the User Defined option from the list.
  4. In the Maximum text box enter the maximum value for the range.
  5. In the Minimum text box enter the minimum value for the range.

Scale increments will be determined automatically. The maximum and minimum values may be rounded off.

Note: User Defined scaling range can not be used as a default.


Movement Size Scale Range

The range of the price scale is defined manually. The scale will be based on the number of points within a unit of length. For example, the user can specify that each inch of the price scale represents 10 points.

Scale range can be set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Range section, choose the Movement Size option from the list.
  4. Enter a unit length.
  5. Select either inches or centimeters in the drop-down box.
  6. Enter the number of points that the unit of length in Step 4 will represent.


Note: To use these scaling settings for all new charts, check Use as Default check box.


Same as Instrument

The range of the Same as Instrument scale is equal to the range of the base symbol's data series price scale:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Range section, choose the Same as Instrument option from the list.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Setting Margins

Margins are the extra spaces between the visual representation of an indicator and the chart's upper and lower borders, and are set as a percentage of the range of the plot's scale. Margins can not be set for a chart with a User Defined scale.

Margins are set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In Use Margins section, check the Use Margins check box to add margins; uncheck the box to not add margins.
  4. In the Top Margin text box enter the top margin as a percentage of the series price range.
  5. In the Bottom Margin text box enter the bottom margin as a percentage of the series price range.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Setting Scaling Type

Two types of Scaling can be selected: Linear or Semi-Log.

A Linear scale is the conventional, absolute scale. A $10 change in price will always be represented by the same displacement along the vertical axis, regardless of the base price from which the change took place.

A Semi-Log (percent-of-change) price scale is a percentage-based scale. A 10% change in price will always be represented by the same displacement along the vertical axis, regardless of the absolute price change. A $5 price change from a $50 base price (10%) will be represented by the exact same vertical displacement as a $10 price change from a $100 base price (10%), even though the absolute values of $5 and $10 are not equal.

Important: Margins should not be used with a Semi-Log price scale.

Scaling Type is set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Scaling Type section, click the Linear or the Semi-Log radio button, to select Linear or Semi-Log scale type, respectively.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


General Settings

  • No. of digits after decimal

You can define the number of decimals to display for the indicator marker on the price scale.

  • Overlay indicators

This option allows you to plot several indicators under a single scale. You can place the indicators in the same subchart and enable Overlay Indicators checkboxes in the indicators settings so that they use the same price scale.

Scale Labels

Scale Labels are the numbers that appear next to the marks on the scale that indicate what value the marks represent.

If a chart contains multiple objects, the object, for which the label values are displayed, can be selected. The object is selected separately for the right and for the left scales, making it possible to display different label values on the right than on the left scale of the chart.

The numbers displayed on the labels can be abbreviated, and either the increment (step size) between the labels or the total number of labels can be set.


Selecting Object for Label Values

The object, for which the label values on the scale are displayed, can be selected by right-clicking on the scale and then clicking the #) Object Name, where # is the number, indicating the order in which the object has been added to the chart.


Dividing Scale Label Values

The values of some indicators, for example volume, can be rather large, such as 25,000,000,000.

The numbers displayed on the labels can be abbreviated by dividing the values they represent by a set factor. For example, a label for the value of 25,000,000,000, divided by a factor of 1,000,000,000, will read "25.00". Characters can also be added to the end of the label, for example a "b", resulting in a label that reads "25.00 b" instead of the "25,000,000,000".

You can elect to set the division factor automatically or manually.


Dividing Label Values Automatically

The division factor with the corresponding characters is selected automatically. To change the characters, see Dividing Label Values Manually.

Automatic selection of the division factor can be chosen from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Divide Scale Labels section, check Divide Scale Labels check box.
  4. Click the Auto radio button.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Dividing Label Values Manually

The division factor can be set manually, and the corresponding characters assigned, from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Divide Scale Labels section, check Divide Scale Labels check box.
  4. Click the Manual radio button.
  5. In the drop-down list box select the division factor.
  6. In the Displayed as text box enter the characters to be added to the end of the label for the selected division factor; these characters will also be used when Dividing Label Values Automatically.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Canceling Label Value Division

Label value division is canceled from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Divide Scale Labels section, uncheck Divide Scale Labels check box.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.

You can choose from three different settings that determine the increment (step size) between labels:

  • Automatic - the increment is optimized dynamically to aid the visual assessment of price levels
  • Set Step Size - the increment between labels is set manually
  • Set Number of Labels - a set number of labels is always displayed


Setting Label Step

In MultiCharts 3 label increment types are available for studies: Automatic, Fixed Step Size and Fixed number of Labels:

  • Automatic - displays axis labels with default settings;
  • Fixed step size - displays axis labels with fixed step between labels;
  • Fixed number of labels - displays limited numbers of axis labels.


Automatic

Increment between the labels is set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Set Labels Manually section, uncheck Set Labels Manually check box.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Set Step Size

Increment between the labels is set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Set Labels Manually section, check Set Labels Manually check box.
  4. Click the Set Step Size radio button.
  5. In the Set Step Size text box enter the increment value (step size), in units displayed on the scale.
Note: A label at each step will only be displayed if there is enough room on the scale.
Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Set Number of Labels

A fixed total number of labels can be set from the Format Indicator window:

  1. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  2. Select the Scaling tab.
  3. In the Set Labels Manually section, check Set Labels Manually check box.
  4. Click the Set Number of Labels radio button.
  5. In the Set Number of Labels text box enter the fixed number of labels desired.
Note: The set number of labels will only be displayed if there is enough room on the scale.


Tip: To use these scaling settings as the default for the selected indicator, check Use as Default check box.


Configuring Fractional Price Scale Format for Studies

To display the price scale of studies in fractional format,

  1. Make sure the price scale of the data series in which the study is based is in fractional format.
  2. Open the Format Indicator window.

    To open the Format Indicator window, position the mouse pointer over the indicator; double-click once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png.

    The Format Indicator window can also be opened by one of the following methods:
      - Position the mouse pointer over an indicator; once the Pointer Pointer.png changes into a Hand Hand.png, right-click and then click Format Indicator Name
      - Open the Format Objects window; in the Indicators tab, select an indicator and click the Format button. See Opening Format Objects Window.

    Note: The Format Indicator window for the indicator being inserted will open automatically if the Format check box in the Insert Study window is checked.

  3. Select the Scaling tab.
  4. In the Scaling Range section, select Same as Instrument.
  5. Click OK.