Default Study Properties

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Default study properties include Input Values, Style, and Maximum Bars Back settings.

When a study is applied to a chart, the default settings are used unless the user elects to set the study properties.

To learn more about setting study properties in MultiCharts, see Indicator Settings and Signal Settings


Setting Default Indicator Input Values

An Input is a constant used in Indicator calculations. Indicators can have one or more inputs, or none at all. Each input is assigned a name.

There are three types of inputs: Numeric, True/False, and String. Indicators can easily be modified by changing the input Values.

One of the main advantages of using the inputs is that basic adjustments to the indicator logic can be made by simply changing the input values, without the need to edit the indicator code.

Most, but not all, indicators use input values.

Note: Default input values cannot be set for Signals or Functions.

To set default indicator input values:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the General tab.
  3. In the Inputs section, in the Value column, click on the input that you want to assign a default value to, and enter the desired value.
  4. Select the Use as Default check box and click OK.


Setting Default Indicator Style

To set properties:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the General tab.
  3. In the Style section, in the Type column, select the plot type from the drop-down list box.
  4. In the Color column select the plot color from the drop-down palette box.
  5. In the Style column select the plot style from the drop-down list box.
  6. In the Weight column select the plot weight from the drop-down list box; the weight can only be selected for the solid line style.
  7. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.


Setting Default Signal Style

To set properties:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Entries or the Exits tab, to set the style of entry or exit points, respectively.
  3. In each section, in the Color column, select a color for each of the components from the drop-down palette box.
  4. In the Style column select the component style from the drop-down list box.
  5. In the Size column select the component size from the drop-down list box; only the size of arrows and ticks can be set.
  6. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.


Setting Default Maximum Bars Back


All studies based on past data use a certain number of bars for their calculations.

The number of bars is called Maximum number of bars a study will reference, or Maximum Bars Back.

Either automatic Max Bars Back value detection (for Indicators only) or a set Max Bars Back value can be specified as the default.


Setting Automatic Max Bars Back Detection

To select automatic Maximum Bars Back detection as a default:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Properties tab.
  3. In the Max number of bars study will reference section, click Auto-detect.
  4. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.
Note: Automatic Max Bars Back Detection is only possible for Indicators and it is impossible to set it for Signals.


Setting Default Max Bars Back Value

To set a default Maximum Bars Back value:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Properties tab.
  3. In the Max number of bars study will reference section, click User specified, and enter the default Max Bars Back value in to the box.
  4. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.
Note: Maximum Bars Back value for Signals should be set in the Strategy Properties window.


Setting Default Indicator Price Scale (Axis) Type

The default type of indicator Y-Price Scale (Axis) Type can be set from the Properties tab of the Properties window:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Properties tab.
  3. In the Axis Type section, click Linear or Semi-Log to specify linear or semi-log scale type, respectively.
  4. Enter the default Max Bars Back value in to the User specified box.
  5. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.


Setting Default Indicator SubChart

By default, an indicator can be placed into a new SubChart, or into the same SubChart as the Symbol that the indicator is based on.

To set the default indicator SubChart:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Properties tab.
  3. Select the Same as Symbol check box for the indicator to be placed by default into the same SubChart as the Symbol, or clear the check box or the indicator to be placed into a new SubChart.
  4. Select the Use as Default check box, and click OK.


Setting Indicator Update on Every Tick

An indicator can be recalculated every time a new tick is received, or only at the close of each bar. One or the other may be more appropriate, depending on the indicator's algorithm. Updating a large number of complex indicators on every tick will require substantial system resources

To set the default indicator update rate:

  1. Open the Properties window by one of the following methods:
    • Click the Properties PL Properties.png icon on the toolbar; or:
    • Right-click within the script display window and then click Properties; or:
    • Select File in the main menu and click Properties.
  2. Select the Properties tab.
  3. Clear the Update on every tick check box to recalculate the indicator on bar close only, or select the check box to recalculate the indicator every time a new tick is received.
  4. Select the Use as Default box, and click OK.