Transparent plot needed

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ctrlbrk
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Transparent plot needed

Postby ctrlbrk » 17 Apr 2010

I need to be able to set a transparent plot. This is easy in NT but so far seems impossible in MultiCharts.

It is not sufficient to use NoPlot() because the plot will be connected from bar x to bar y, I need the plot to be invisible (transparent) under certain conditions.

I cannot use the context menu and set the style to "invisible" because that applies to the entire plot, and I need it to only apply under certain conditions (bar by bar).

There does not seem to be a SetPlotStyle() [if that would even work for a bar-by-bar modification] or a Color Transparent or Color Empty.

Help! :)

Mike

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TJ
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Postby TJ » 17 Apr 2010

what is the plot style? line? dot?


here are some of the things I do:

1. if the plot is a dot, I would set the plot value to zero. Then the plot would disappear from the chart.

2. set the plot color to getbackgroundcolor

3. if the plot is on another plot, then set the color to getplotcolor.


HTH

ctrlbrk
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Postby ctrlbrk » 17 Apr 2010

what is the plot style? line? dot?


here are some of the things I do:

1. if the plot is a dot, I would set the plot value to zero. Then the plot would disappear from the chart.

2. set the plot color to getbackgroundcolor

3. if the plot is on another plot, then set the color to getplotcolor.


HTH
Thx.

The plot is a line. I tried several things already like you suggest above when using a dot for the plot, they are better than nothing but less than ideal because the color is still displayed on top of the paintbar or other plots. There is no Z-axis offset it seems to be able to force the plot (matching the chart background) to the back.

A transparent or empty color plot is really a requirement... someone from MC, please listen :)

I didn't try setting the plot to 0, doesn't that cause a chart scaling issue? But there would still be a problem when the value is no longer zero at some future bar, because it will attempt to connect the plots - yes (assuming it's a line).

Mike

ctrlbrk
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Postby ctrlbrk » 17 Apr 2010

Here is the indicator in question:

http://www.bigmiketrading.com/tradestat ... cator.html

Mike

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Postby TJ » 17 Apr 2010

re: scaling.

you can set the instrument scaling to not include indicators.

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Re: Transparent plot needed

Postby janus » 17 Apr 2010

I need to be able to set a transparent plot. This is easy in NT but so far seems impossible in MultiCharts.
Can't be done, not with solid lines anyway. I wanted this feature also for a long time. I managed to do it by juggling with a long list of plotn statements and setting each one to "right tick" to create the gap between two sections. I then "turn on" then "turn off" the plot as required. The appearance of the "lines" using right tick is not too bad. But I agree MC should have the ability to stop drawing a solid line, then restart it again later to leave a gap. In fact, it should act like a pen plotter. "Pen down" -> draw -> "pen up" -> move across -> "pen down" -> draw, etc. That way we could also draw vertical lines too. I realize this won't be possible using the standard plotn but could be achieved using other functions, similar to those used for pen plotters. It would be a nice addition to MC.

Also, why not use trend lines? The reason I didn't use them was they were to resource hungry and ended up crashing MC as it ran of memory (despite the fact my PC had plenty of free physical memory).

ctrlbrk
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Postby ctrlbrk » 17 Apr 2010

Thx janus. Using TL would require quite a bit of code changes, I guess to test when the condition of a netural (flat) plot exists, and then stops existing, to draw the TL and then update that TL each bar to extend it one bar further to the right.

The simple course of action is for MC to add a Color Transparent option (white, black, blue, red, transparent)... and then do whatever they need to do internally to just make it work :)

That way you can paint each plot using Transparent as needed, like in the iff() statement inside the Plot() statement for determining the color of the plot in my example.

Mike

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Postby janus » 17 Apr 2010

The simple course of action is for MC to add a Color Transparent option (white, black, blue, red, transparent)... and then do whatever they need to do internally to just make it work :)
That way you can paint each plot using Transparent as needed, like in the iff() statement inside the Plot() statement for determining the color of the plot in my example.
Mike
I agree that's one way. It's almost too simple so I don't know why it wasn't done in the first place. It appears the simple things like this and others I've suggested along the way that would make MC so much more pleasurable to use are not that important :cry:

I still prefer my pen plotter approach. Apart from be able to draw vertical limes and leave gaps, one could even plot backwards on itself over the same periods that were already plotted. Believe or not I do have a use for that feature. For now, I use trend lines but as we already know that can be too resource hungry at times.


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