MultiCharts Work Area

MultiCharts work area is a customizable interface designed for traders to analyze market data and execute trades.
It 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 other 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 Workspaces 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 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

In MultiCharts you can use the following window types:

The number of windows that can be added to one workspace is only limited 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

To create new windows go to File → New or click the corresponding icon on the Main toolbar.

To open a new window as a part of the whole MultiCharts windows (as opposed to it being a part of a workspace), go to View → Show.

New windows are always created in the currently selected workspace.
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.

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. All the minimized windows will be placed at the bottom of the workspace, below all the 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. All the minimized windows will be placed at the bottom of the workspace, below all the 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 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		Using Real-Time Scanner
New Order and Position Tracker Window		Using Order and Position Tracker
New Time & Sales Window		Using Time and Sales
New Forex Board Window		Using Forex Board
New DOM Window		Using Depth of market (DOM)
New QuoteManager		Using QuoteManager
New PowerLanguage Editor		Using PowerLanguage Editor
New Portfolio Trader		Using Portfolio Trader
New Strategy Orders Monitor		Using 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		Changing Chart Appearance
Bar Chart		Selecting OHLC Chart Style
Candlestick Chart		Selecting Candlestick Chart Style
Hollow Candlestick Chart		Selecting Hollow Candlestick Chart Style
Line on Close Chart		Selecting Line on Close Chart Style
Line Break Chart		Selecting Line Break Chart Style
Renko Chart		Selecting Renko Chart Style
Kagi Chart		Selecting Kagi Chart Style
Point & Figure Chart		Selecting Point & Figure Chart Style
Heikin-Ashi Chart		Selecting Heikin-Ashi Chart Style
TPO Chart		Selecting TPO Chart Style
Volume Delta		Selecting Volume Delta Chart Style
Cumulative Delta		Selecting Cumulative Delta Chart Style
Arrow Pointer		Pointer
Cross Pointer		Cross Pointer
Show/Hide Chart Hint		Changing Hint Modes
Show/Hide Cross		Using Cross Mode
Move Crosshair in Tick Increments		Using Cross Mode
Tracking Time and Price		Tracking Time and Price
Data Window		Using Data Window
Show/Hide Chart Trading		Using Chart Trading
Expert Commentary		Using Expert Commentary
Optimize Strategy		Using Optimization
Strategy Performance Report		Using Strategy Performance Report
Strategy Optimization Report		Using Optimization Report
Walk Forward Optimization Report		Using Walk Forward Optimization Report
Matrix Optimization Report		Using Matrix Optimization Report
Trading Performance Report		Using Trading Performance Report
Trades Summary Report		Using Trades Summary Report

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
Schiff Pitchfork		Inserting Schiff Pitchfork
Modified Schiff Pitchfork		Inserting Modified Schiff Pitchfork
Fibonacci Retracement Price Lines		Inserting Fibonacci Retracement Price Lines
Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Fan		Inserting Fibonacci Speed/Resistance Fan
Fibonacci Trend-based Price Extension Lines		Inserting Fibonacci Trend-based Price Extension Lines
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
Volume Profile Drawing		Using Volume Profile Drawing
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
Ruler		Inserting Ruler
Snap Mode		Using Snap Mode
Remain in Drawing Mode		Remaining in Drawing Mode
Drawing Synchronization Mode		Using Drawing Synchronization Mode

Command Line Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Resolution		Setting Resolution
Command Line		Using Command Line

Simulated Trading Toolbar

Command	Icon	Description
Standard Simulated Trading		Setting Simulation Mode
Advanced Simulated Trading		Setting Simulation Mode
Choose Resolution		Setting Simulation Resolution
Start Time		Setting Simulation Start Time
Set the date and time to start		Setting Simulation Start Time
Step Forward		Using Step Forward
Pause/Resume		Using Pause/Resume
Go To Realtime		Going To Realtime
Simulation Speed		Setting Simulation Speed
Workspace Mode		Using Workspace Mode
Collect Data		Collecting Data

Understanding Command Line

The Command Line toolbar allows performing a variety of tasks quickly and efficiently by entering text commands, without relying on the graphical user interface.

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.

Find more info about Command Line on this page.

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:

Select View from the main menu, then select Toolbars and Customize. The Customize window will appear.
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.
In the Commands pane, select which buttons will appear on the toolbar.
Select the Close button.