MultiCharts Work Area

The application window consists of Desktops, Workspaces, Windows, and Toolbars.

Understanding Workspaces

Workspaces help manage the working process. Several Workspaces can be open at the same time. It is possible to create, save, open, close, rename, and delete Workspaces, as well as to switch between Workspaces that are open in the application window. Each Workspace can contain multiple windows.

Names of all open Workspaces are shown in the tabs at the bottom of application window. The tab of the currently selected (active) Workspace is highlighted. To switch to another open Workspace click the tab of the Workspace you wish to switch to.

To achieve peak performance limit the number of simultaneously open workspaces to the ones you actually need.

Creating Workspaces

To create a new Workspace, click the New Workspace icon on the Main toolbar.

Workspaces can also be created by using the Ctrl + N hot key, or by clicking File in the main menu → New → Workspace.

If there are no open Workspaces when a new Chart Window is created, a new Workspace for that window will be created automatically.

Saving Workspaces

A Workspace, complete with Chart/Scanner Windows and all settings, is saved as a file with .wsp extension.

To save a Workspace, click the Save Workspace icon on the Main toolbar. Workspaces can also be saved by using the Ctrl + S hot key, or by selecting File in the main menu and clicking Save Workspace.

If the Workspace has not yet been named, the Save As dialog box will appear, allowing to choose a file name for the workspace.

In order to save an already named Workspace under a new name, select File in the main menu and click Save Workspace As.

To save Workspaces automatically on application exit, see Workspaces Preferences.

Opening Workspaces

Saved Workspaces can be opened by using Windows Explorer/File manager as well as from the application.

To open a Workspace from the application, click the Open Workspace icon on the Main toolbar; in the Open dialog box that appears, navigate to and select the Workspace file (.wsp extension) and click the Open button. Workspaces can also be opened by using the Ctrl + O hot key, or by selecting File in the main menu and clicking Open Workspace.

Recently used Workspaces can be opened by clicking the down-arrow to the right of the Open Workspace icon on the Main toolbar and then clicking a Workspace name, or by selecting File in the main menu, then pointing to Recent Workspaces and clicking a Workspace name.

To open Workspaces automatically on application startup, see Workspaces Preferences.

Closing Workspaces

To close a Workspace, click the Close Workspace icon on the Main toolbar. Workspaces can also be closed by using the F4 key, or by selecting File in the main menu and clicking Close Workspace.

If any changes have been made to a Workspace since it was last saved, and: Do not show "Save Workspace" dialog on Exit checkbox in Workspace Preferences is not selected, the Save Workspace dialog box will appear:
- click Yes to save the changes and close the Workspace;
- click No to discard the changes and close the Workspace;
- click Cancel to cancel the operation and keep the Workspace open.

To disable the dialog box and close workspaces without confirmation, see Workspaces Preferences.

If both the Do not show "Save Workspace" dialog on Exit checkbox and Do not save workspaces option are selected in the Workspace tab of the Preferences window then no changes to the workspace will be saved on exit!

Renaming Workspaces

Workspaces can be renamed by two different methods:

• Save a copy of the Workspace under a different name. See Saving Workspaces; or:
• Use Windows Explorer or another program to rename a Workspace file as any other Windows file.

Workspaces that are open cannot be renamed by Windows Explorer. Close the Workspace prior to renaming it.

Deleting Workspaces

Use Windows Explorer or another program to delete the Workspace file as you would any other Windows file. Deleting a Workspace does not delete the data or the studies.

A Workspace that is open cannot be deleted. Close the Workspace prior to deleting it.

Workspaces Preferences

Workspaces preferences settings determine which workspaces, if any, will be opened on application startup, whether changes to workspaces will be saved on application exit, and if a confirmation prompt will appear when Chart/Scanner Windows are closed.

Manage them in File → Preferences → Workspaces tab.

In the On start section select:

• Open last active workspace from previous session
• Open all workspaces from previous session
• Open prebuilt workspaces
• Do not open workspaces

• Check Show this window box for the Preferences window to appear on start of MultiCharts
• Check Run wizard to open Wizard on software startup

In the All workspaces section check:

• Skip the confirmation when closing windows. The confirmation window will not appear when the window is closed.
• Skip the confirmation when exiting the application. The confirmation window will not appear when the application is closed.
• Store optimization reports within workspaces. Clear it not to save report with a workspace.
• Keep the reports from previous optimizations. When this option is unchecked, the previous reports will be deleted on start of the next optimization, as well as the unsaved reports on close of the workspace.

In the On exit section select:

• Save the changes on all workspaces
• Do not save any changes on all workspaces
• Ask about saving the changes on each workspace

Understanding Desktops

A Desktop is a set of workspaces in one MultiCharts window. If you have a multi-monitor setup, you can save MultiCharts window layout on every monitor as a desktop and then when you launch MultiCharts next time just open a bunch of desktop files (you can open multiple files at once by selecting them all and pressing Enter) to get your setup back.

It is possible to create, save, open, close, rename, and delete Desktops. Each Desktop can contain multiple Workspaces. Names of the open Desktops are shown at the top of MultiCharts windows. To achieve peak performance limit the number of simultaneously open Desktops to the ones you actually need.

Creating Desktops

To create a new Desktop, it is necessary to open a new MultiCharts instance by clicking MultiCharts icon on your Windows Desktop. So, when you open a new MultiCharts instance, a new Desktop is created automatically.

Saving Desktops

A Desktop with all the settings is saved as a file with .mcd extension.

To save a Desktop, click File in the main menu and select Save Desktop. If the Desktop has not yet been named, the Save As dialog box will appear, allowing to choose a file name for the Desktop. In order to save an already named Desktop under a new name, select File in the main menu and click Save Desktop As.

It is necessary to save the changes of the Desktops manually, as they are not saved automatically.

If any changes have been made to a Workspace of the Desktop since it was last saved, the Save Workspace dialog box will appear:
- click Yes to save the changes and close the Workspace;
- click No to discard the changes and close the Workspace;
- click Cancel to cancel the operation and keep the Workspace open.

Workspaces are not saved in the Desktops. Desktops only store references to the list of the saved Workspaces, but do not save them within the Desktop, it is still necessary to save the Workspaces to have them opened in a Desktop.

Opening Desktops

Saved Desktops can be opened by using Windows Explorer/File manager as well as from the application.

To open a Desktop from the application, click File in the main menu and select Open Desktop; in the Open dialog box that appears, navigate to and select the Desktop file (.mcd extension) and click Open button. The selected Desktop will be opened in the new MultiCharts instance.

Closing Desktops

To close a Desktop, click File in the main menu and select Close Desktop. It is necessary to save the changes of the Desktops manually before closing of the Desktop.

If any changes have been made to a Workspace of the Desktop since it was last saved, the Save Workspace dialog box will appear:
- click Yes to save the changes and close the Workspace;
- click No to discard the changes and close the Workspace;
- click Cancel to cancel the operation and keep the Workspace open.

If both Do not show "Save Workspace" dialog on Exit checkbox and Do not save workspaces options are selected in the Workspace tab of the Preferences window then no changes of the workspaces will be saved on exit!

Renaming Desktops

Desktops can be renamed by two different methods:

• Save a copy of the Desktop under a different name. See Saving Desktops; or:
• Use Windows Explorer or another program to rename a Desktop file as any other Windows file.

Desktops that are open cannot be renamed by Windows Explorer. Close the Desktop prior to renaming it.

Deleting Desktops

Use Windows Explorer or another program to delete a Desktop file as you would any other Windows file. Deleting a Desktop does not delete the data or the studies.

A Desktop that is open cannot be deleted. Close the Desktop prior to deleting it.

Understanding Windows (Chart/Scanner)

Chart Windows contain charts, studies, and drawings. The number of windows that can be added to Workspaces is limited only by your computer's hardware configuration.

In Workspaces with multiple windows only one window at a time is active. The active window is the window to which any changes will be applied, and is distinguished by the color of its title bar. Any one of the windows in a Workspace can be selected as the active at any time.

Windows can be moved within a workspace or detached and positioned anywhere on your computer’s desktop, arranged in any order, resized, maximized, minimized, and closed. Closing a window deletes it from the Workspace.

Windows are saved only as a part of the Workspace that contains them.

Creating Windows

A Chart Window is always created at the same time as the chart/grid that is placed in it. It is not possible to create an empty window, without a chart/grid. A Chart/Scanner Window is always created in the currently selected Workspace.

Read more about Creating Charts

Read more about Workspaces.

Selecting a Window as Active

Before making changes to a Window you should make sure that it is active. Only one window at a time can be active.

A Window can be selected as active by one of the following methods:

• Click anywhere on the window to make it active; or:
• Select Window in the main menu and click the name of the window.

Color change of the window's title bar will indicate that the window has become active.

Detaching and Attaching Windows

By default, Windows are displayed within a Workspace. Windows can be detached from a Workspace and positioned anywhere on your computer's desktop; on a multiple-monitor system, one or more Windows can be displayed on each monitor.

A Window can be detached by one of the following methods:

• Click the Detach Window button on the title bar of the window;

or:

• Select Window in the main menu and click Detach Window.

Detached windows' last chosen positions are retained the next time that the application is started

A Window can be attached back to the Workspace by one of the following methods:

• Click the Attach Window button on the title bar of the window;

or:

• Select Window in the main menu and click Attach Window.

Detached Windows "Always on Top" Feature

To keep a detached Window displayed always on top of other windows click the Stick button on the title bar of the window; the button will change to .

To cancel the feature click the Unstick button again; the button will change to .

Detached window's last chosen Always on Top status is retained the next time that the application is started.

Arranging Windows

It is possible to arrange windows in any order. A Window can be positioned anywhere by placing the mouse pointer over the window's title bar, holding the left mouse button, and dragging the window to the desired position.

Windows within a workspace can also be arranged automatically:

• To arrange all open windows for convenient viewing select Window in the main menu and click Arrange All any minimized windows will be placed at the bottom of the Workspace, below any open windows.
• To arrange all windows horizontally or vertically select Window in the main menu and click Arrange Horizontally or Arrange Vertically, respectively.
• To arrange all open windows in a cascade select Window in the main menu and click Cascade; any minimized windows will be placed at the bottom of the Workspace, below any open windows.

Windows' last chosen positions are retained the next time that the application is started.

Deleting Windows

A window can be deleted from a Workspace. To close a Window means to delete it. It is possible to delete all of the windows from a Workspace, leaving the Workspace empty.

To delete a Window from a Workspace click the Close button on the title bar of the window; in the dialog box that appears, click Yes to delete the window, or click Cancel to cancel the operation and keep the window open.

To disable the dialog box and delete windows without confirmation, see Workspaces Preferences.

Switching between Windows

Within a Workspace you can switch between the open windows by using the Ctrl + F6 hotkey combination, or by clicking anywhere on the window you wish to switch to.

Copying Windows

The active Chart/Scanner Window can be copied, complete with all settings, data series, and studies, and pasted to any open Workspace.

To copy an active window use one of the following methods:

• Select File in the main menu and click Copy Window; or:
• Use CTRL+SHIFT+C hot key combination.

To paste the copied Window:

• Select File in the main menu and click Paste Window, or:
• Use Ctrl + Shift + V hot key combination.

Understanding Toolbars

Toolbars provide convenient access to commonly used functions. These functions can also be accessed by using the menus, but the toolbars let you do it with just one click.

There are seven toolbars: Main, Simulated Trading, Chart Analysis, Command Line, Control, Drawing, Resolution. Any of the toolbars can be made floating, allowing them to be positioned anywhere, or hidden if they are not needed.

Hiding and Redisplaying Toolbars

All toolbars are displayed by default.

To hide a toolbar select View in the main menu, then click Toolbars and uncheck the toolbar that is to be hidden.

A floating toolbar can also be hidden by clicking the Close button on the toolbar's title bar.

To redisplay a toolbar select View in the main menu, then click Toolbars and check the toolbar that is to be displayed.

The Resolution toolbar can also be hidden or redisplayed by clicking the Resolution icon.

Floating or Docking Toolbars

By default, toolbars are displayed docked to the top of the application window. Any of the toolbars can be made floating or docked. A floating toolbar has its own title bar and can be positioned anywhere on your computer’s desktop.

Toolbars can be made floating by using one of the following methods:

• Double-click the move handle of a docked toolbar; or:
• Position the mouse pointer over the toolbar's move handle; hold the left mouse button and drag the toolbar to the desired position.

Toolbars can be docked by one of the following methods:

• Double-click the toolbar's title bar. The toolbar will dock along the top border of the application window; or:
• Position the mouse pointer over the title bar of a floating toolbar; hold the left mouse button and drag the toolbar to any of the four borders of the application window. Once the mouse pointer comes close to a border of the window, an outline will indicate where the toolbar will be docked. Releasing the mouse button will dock the toolbar.

Toolbars' last chosen positions are retained the next time that the application is started.

Toolbar Icons Reference

Main Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
New Workspace		Creating Workspaces
Save Workspace		Saving Workspace
Open Workspace		Opening Workspace
Close Workspace		Closing Workspace
New Chart Window		Creating Charts
New Scanner Window		Understanding Real-Time Scanner
New Order and Position Tracker Window		Order and Position Tracker
New Time & Sales Window		Time and Sales
New Forex Board Window		Forex Board
New DOM Window		Depth of market (DOM)
New QuoteManager		QuoteManager
New PowerLanguage Editor		Understanding PowerLanguage Editor
New Portfolio Trader		Portfolio Trader
New Strategy Orders Monitor		Strategy Orders Monitor
Enable Automated Order Execution for Multiple Charts		Enabling and Disabling Auto Trading on Multiple Charts
Disable Automated Order Execution for Multiple Charts		Enabling and Disabling Auto Trading on Multiple Charts

Control Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Decrease Bar Spacing		Changing Bar Spacing
Increase Bar Spacing		Changing Bar Spacing
Compress Price Scale		Changing Price Scale Compression
Expand Price Scale		Changing Price Scale Compression
Move Up		Moving a Data Series Vertically
Move Down		Moving a Data Series Vertically
Scroll Left		Scrolling Horizontally through a Chart
Scroll Right		Scrolling Horizontally through a Chart
Increase Weight		Changing Bar Weight
Decrease Weight		Changing Bar Weight
Zoom In		Zooming In
Zoom Out		Zooming Out
Reset Scales		Resetting Both Scales
Reset Time Scale		Resetting Time Scale (Bar Spacing)
Reset Price Scale		Resetting Price Scale
Hide Object		Hiding Indicators
Background Dragging		Background Dragging
Orders and Data Series Dragging		Orders and Data Series Dragging

Chart Analysis Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Insert Symbol		Inserting Additional Symbols into a Chart Window
Insert Study		Inserting Studies
Insert Signal		Inserting Studies
Show / Hide Drawing Tools		Inserting Drawing Tools
Format Instruments		Changing Symbols
Format Window		Chart Appearance
Bar Chart		Setting OHLC Chart Style
Hollow Candlestick Chart		Selecting Hollow Candlestick Chart Style
Line on Close Chart		Selecting Line on Close Chart Style
Arrow Pointer		Pointer
Cross Pointer		Cross Pointer
Show/Hide Chart Hint		Understanding Hint Modes
Show/Hide Cross		Cross Mode
Tracking Time and Price		Cross Mode
Data Window		Data Window
Optimize Strategy		Performing Optimization

Resolution Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Tick Bar		Setting Resolution of Tick-Based Charts
Volume Bar		Setting Resolution of Volume-Based Charts
Range Bar		Setting Resolution of Range-Based Charts
Second Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Minute Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Hourly Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Daily Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Weekly Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Monthly Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Quarterly Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Yearly Bar		Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts

Drawing Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Trend Line		Inserting Trend Line
Horizontal Line		Inserting Horizontal Line
Time Line		Inserting Time Line
Regression Channel		Inserting Regression Channel
Equidistant Channel		Inserting Equidistant Channel
Andrews' Pitchfork		Inserting Andrews' Pitchfork
Fibonacci Retracement Price Lines		Inserting Fibonacci Retracement Price Lines
Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Fan		Inserting Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Fan
Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Arcs		Inserting Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Arcs
Fibonacci Time Zones		Inserting Fibonacci Time Zones
Fibonacci Trend-Based Time Lines		Inserting Fibonacci Trend-Based Time Lines
Gann Fan		Inserting Gann Fan
Gann Square		Inserting Gann Square
Retracement Calculator		Inserting Retracement Calculator
Text		Inserting Text
Rectangle		Inserting Rectangle
Ellipse		Inserting Ellipse
Arc		Inserting Arc
Arrow Down		Inserting Arrow Down
Arrow Up		Inserting Arrow Up

Command Line Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Resolution		Click the Resolution icon to hide or redisplay the Resolution Toolbar. Setting Resolution of Time-Based Charts
Command Line		Understanding Command Line

Simulated Trading Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Choose Resolution		Setting Playback Resolution
Start Time		Setting Playback Start Time
Set the date and time to start		Setting Playback Start Time
Step Forward		Using Step Forward
Pause/Resume		Using Pause/Resume
Go To Realtime		Go To Realtime
Simulation Speed		Setting Simulation Speed
Workspace Mode		Using Workspace Mode

Understanding Command Line

Command Line

Command Line toolbar allows the active window's chart resolution or symbol to be changed simply by entering a text command.

Type the appropriate command in the Command Line combo box and press Enter.

To select a previously used command use the drop-down function.

Type in: "5 minutes" to change the chart resolution to 5 minutes. Type in: "AMD" to change the symbol to AMD.

The List of Supported Commands

• .bsi

  Increases bar spacing.

• .bsd

  Decreases bar spacing.

• .rep

  Calls Strategy Performance Report.

• .isy

  Inserts additional symbol into existing chart or creates a new chart. Available parameters: name, df, res, desc, from, to, bfm. “,” is the delimiter. See examples below.

• .csy

  Changes symbol (specific data series) plotted on chart to another specific symbol (if there is no chart, this command creates an empty chart window with no data series plotted). Available parameters: dnum, name, df, res, desc, from, to, mute, bfm. “,” is the delimiter. See examples below.

• .iind

  Inserts specific indicator to the active chart. Available parameters: name, base, bref, fmt. “,” is the delimiter. See examples below. Subchart parameter defines subchart number where the indicator will be plotted. By default, when subchart=-1 is used, a new subchart will be added at the bottom of the chart window.

• .isig

  Inserts specific signal to the active chart. Available parameters: name1, name2. nameN (up to 99). “,” is the delimiter. See examples below.

• .rld

  Reloads data on the active chart and on all charts with the same symbol. Available parameters: glob, ResSize ResName, int. See examples below.

• .rldw

  Reloads data on all charts in the active workspace.

• SymName

  Changes the symbol to a specified one on the active chart. If there is no selected symbol , the symbol that is plotted on data series 1 is changed.

• ResSize ResName

  Changes resolution of the symbol plotted as data series 1 of the active chart to a specified one. See examples below.

• .at_toggle

  Turns on/off auto trading on the active chart.

• .shs

  Switches between different styles for Hint window.

• .eds

  Shows the entire data series of the active chart window.

• .goto

  Scrolls charts to a set point.
  Available parameters: dnum, bar, date, time.

Table of Parameters for .ISY and .CSY Commands

Description	Parameter
Number of data series	dnum
Symbol name	name
Data provider	df
Resolution of the chart	res
Symbol description	desc
Starting point of data interval	from
Ending point of data interval	to
Do not show the Format Instrument dialogue window if there is an error in the request	mute
Build daily based charts (days, weeks, months, quarters, years) using minute data instead of daily data. bfm=0 - use daily data, bfm=1 - use minute data. If bfm is not used at all, daily data is used.	bfm

Example 1

Enter to command line: .isy name=@ES#, df=IQFeed, res=1 min, desc=E-MINI S&P 500 MARCH 2013, from=12/31/2012, to=5/10/2013 in order to insert 1 minute graph of S&P mini 500 from IQFeed starting from 31th of December 2012 up to 10th of May 2013 as additional data series to the active chart window.

Example 2

Enter to command line: .csy dnum=1, name=@ES#, df=IQFeed, res=1 min, desc=E-MINI S&P 500 MARCH 2013, from=12/31/2012, to=5/10/2013 in order to change the data series 1 to 1 minute graph of S&P mini 500 from IQFeed starting from 31th of December 2012 up to 10th of May 2013 as additional data series to the active chart window.

If dnum parameter is not specified, the selected data series will be affected. If no particular data series is selected, the data series 1 will be affected.

Table of Parameters for .IIND and .ISIG Commands

Description	Parameter
Name of an indicator	name
Name of a signal	nameN
Number of data series to base an indicator on	base
Maximum number of bars a study will reference, or maximum bars back	bref
Show Format Indicator window	fmt

Example 1

Enter to command line: .iind name=MACD, base=1, bref=100 in order to apply MACD indicator to the data series 1 with MaxBarsBack parameter = 100 to the active chart window.

Example 2

Enter to command line: .isig name1=Bollinger Bands LE in order to apply Bollinger Bands LE signal to the active chart window.

If no parameters are specified, the Insert Indicator or Insert Signal window is called.

Table of Parameters for .RLD Command

Description	Parameter
Reloads all charts with all data series in all workspaces	glob
Reloads data series on the current chart with the specified resolution	res = ResSize ResName
Reloads a specified number of days/weeks/months back	int = ResSize ResName

Example 1

Enter to command line: .rld glob in order to reload all data in all charts in all open workspaces in the current instance of MultiCharts.

Example 2

Enter to command line: .rld res = 1 day in order to reload data on all daily-based subcharts of 1 day resolution and higher.

Example 3

Enter to command line: .rld int = 2 weeks in order to reload 2 weeks of data on the active chart.

If a parameter is specified incorrectly, the .rld will be used for the active chart.

Table of Resolutions for Command Line

Resolution name	Value 1	Value 2	Value 3	Value 4
Tick	tick	ticks	t	ts
Contract	volume	volumes	contract	contracts
Point	point	points	pt	pts
Point Original		point(original)	orpt	orpts
Change	change	changes	chg	chgs
Second	second	seconds	sec	secs
Minute	minute	minutes	min	mins
Hour	hour	hours	hr	hrs
Day	day	days	d	ds
Week	week	weeks	wk	wks
Month	month	months	mth	mths
Quarter	quarter	quarters	qrt	qrts
Year	year	years	yr	yrs

Customizing Toolbars

With Custom Toolbars, the user can not only choose which toolbar to display, but also which buttons appear on the toolbar. Adding more toolbars and buttons makes it easier to access certain functions. Consolidating the most frequently used buttons onto one toolbar saves space and permits a larger display area in the workspace.

To customize the toolbars,

1. Select View from the main menu, then select Toolbars and Customize. The Customize window will appear.
2. In the Toolbars pane, select the type of toolbar to customize. Check the selected toolbar’s check box to display the toolbar. Uncheck the selected toolbar to remove the toolbar.
3. In the Commands pane, select which buttons will appear on the toolbar.
4. Select the Close button.