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VisualTrader User Guide.book

1. Figure 10 7 Confirm Block The Confirm block includes the following settings Confirmation Tolerance Defines the number of bars that VisualTrader will look back in order to accept a signal to be used for confirmation purposes e Systems Defines which systems VisualTrader will use to generate confirmation signals e Minimum Number of Signals Defines rules on how multiple signals fired in the tolerated period will be handled for confirmation purposes e Parameters Sets the parameters for each system in the Confirmation block VisualTrader User Guide 100 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader e Optimization Defines which type of exit the system uses for optimization purposes N bars will force a system to exit after the defined number of bars while the Next Pivot Point option will use the next pivot point as defined by VisualTrader for system exits Configuring the Orders Block The Orders block defines entry and exit rules for signals Orders contain conditions for entry the exits that will be used by the Trading Strategy and the option for re entry on a failed signal You can also use the Orders block to select rules for long short or both types of trades which means VisualTrader can handle long and short trades differently within the same profile Entries Tab An Ent
2. Figure 3 12 VisualTrader Signals VisualTrader User Guide 28 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Automatically Sorting Opportunities If you would like VisualTrader to dynamically sort the Opportunity List you can enable the Auto Sort option at the bottom of the Opportunity List Figure 3 13 Auto Sort Checkbox in the Opportunity List For example if you would like to have the stocks with the highest cylinder brought to the top of the List automatically you can sort on the Above column and then turn on Auto Sort Nirvana Systems Inc 29 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Viewing a Second Opportunity List In VisualTrader you can display two Opportunity Lists This allows you to prospect for both longs and shorts at the same time To activate the second List select View Second List In the following illustration you see that we have activated the second List The top list is sorted on the Above column while the bottom list is sorted on the Below column A A A A A A A A t A A A t b 444 lt i dd dd lt lt Figure 3 14 View with Second Opportunity List Activated VisualTrader User Guide 30 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Viewing Momentum Shifts with the Playback Feature VisualTrader helps you not only see the current direction of the market but also the changes in direction as the market unfolds VisualTrader s Playback Feature
3. a Last 35 00 Tra DAY amp BGENS Last 35 00 Trai DAY Was tta et se tan tts sao tet see itunik a Matul fi antt as ast ensamt cates a ituu ka titull a Last 35 00 Tra DAY BGENG A Gor PPT ET Figure 7 4 Layout with Several Charts VisualTrader User Guide 68 nirvanasystems com Chapter 7 Chart Layouts Locking Unlocking Layout Settings Layouts allow you to define the settings of each Pane and lock down the settings you want to maintain When you drag and drop charts into a Pane all settings are initially locked To change the settings you need to unlock the desired setting and then make your change You will find that depending on the Layout some settings will always be locked while others will always be unlocked We want our top left chart to always reflect the Daily chart of any security that we select In this case we want to leave the Daily timeframe locked but unlock the symbol so that it will change when we click on a symbol in the Opportunity List ebiotechndlagyDA OK DAY amp BGENG Figure 7 5 Upper Left Settings for Layout Our upper right chart should always show the Weekly chart of the selected security We need to unlock the timeframe so that we can change it Once we have done this we switch to the Weekly timeframe on the Timeframe Toolbar and then lock it down Since we want the security to change when we select a new security we want to unlock the symbol Figure 7 6 Upper Rig
4. Figure 6 12 Eighths Alert Fired on FOX Nirvana Systems Inc 63 VisualTrader User Guide Chart Layouts VisualTrader s Chart Layouts allow you to instantly display various customized charts Whether you want to have a page of all of the major indices a page of the same security in multiple timeframes a page of specific indicators applied to different charts or any combination of these options Layouts are flexible and designed to provide you with the chart information you need instantly a E Last 35 47 Tra DAY BGEN Last 35 47 Trad WK _BGEN amp Daily Chart va hia _ Weekly Chart tg l I Ha Use ste tat tae to ahi MA i OPATAN svt E E AN EET EE AA E annala hdan asaba Hi a Last 2 DAY amp Biotechnology amp Group Last 1052 67 Ti DAY amp nDx amp Group Chart _ Index Chart Ah ii A yh M ka iN l Jb INDA ianu a A oa a al Figure 7 1 End of Day NASDAQ Layout t EN Nirvana Systems Inc 65 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 7 Chart Layouts Layouts are specific to the Map that you created them in For example if you are on the Nirvana 500 Map and create a Layout you will only see this Layout listed when you are on the Nirvana 500 Map When you first begin using VisualTrader all of the charts that you bring up will be displayed on the Main Page In fact unless you create a Layout Page you will always be working in the Main Page The Main Page serves a basic p
5. Username JOmniD ata ID Password V On Demand Downloading Batch Download Stocks x Advanced Cancel Loox Figure 3 Symbol and Data Settings Dialog Box Select OmniData from the Datafeed drop down menu Enter your OmniData Username and Password found on the back of your OmniData CD case 4 Ifyou would like OmniTrader to check for the latest data every time you plot a chart enable On Demand Downloading 5 From the Batch Download drop down menu select All Symbols Stocks or Funds If you select All Symbols OmniTrader will collect data for both stocks and funds 6 Click OK to accept the data settings information Nirvana Systems Inc 5 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 2 Getting Started Setting Up Other Easy Data Vendors Follow these instructions to set up your Easy Data data source in VisualTrader after you complete the registration information 1 Ifthe Data Settings dialog box is not already displayed select Edit Data Settings 2 Select your Datafeed vendor from the drop down menu ab Data Settings xi Datafeed eSignal x Username Password Maximum number of symbols j ca E Figure 2 1 Data Settings Dialog Box 3 Enter the Username and Password for your data account 4 If your data vendor has a symbol limit enter it into the Maximum number of symbols field aye Note Some real time data vendors have symbol limitations For example at publication eSignal and DTN In
6. be sure to launch VisualTrader about 15 minutes before you would like to start using it Once you have collected data for a Map subsequent runs will take less time to populate the Map with current data Opening Maps Follow these instructions to open an existing Map in VisualTrader 1 To open a Map click File Open The Open Map dialog box appears with a list of Visual Trader Map vtp files The pre designed Maps are located in the VisualTrader Profiles subdirectory Open Map Look in a Profiles acce a Dow30 vtp E Nasdaqi00 vtp Nirvana100 vtp Nirvana500 vtp 5P100 vtp SPSO0 vtp My Network ES O Files of type VisualT rader Maps vtp Cancel I YA Figure 3 3 Open Map Dialog Box 2 Select the Map you would like to open and click Open VisualTrader displays and populates the selected Map Nirvana Systems Inc 19 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Understanding Cylinder Characteristics A Cylinder s shape and color will change depending on various factors The Cylinder s characteristics are illustrated in the example below Roof Color Body Color Figure 3 4 Cylinder Characteristics The factors that control the change in a cylinder s characteristics are known as Measurements The color of the plate is also controlled by a Measurement VisualTrader User Guide 20 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Viewing More Informat
7. compared to a previously mixed market This is our first clue that the overall market is turning bullish Nirvana Systems Inc 75 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 8 Determining Market Direction Determining Market Strength The vertical bar on the Leading Indicator compares the overall upward and downward movement of the securities on the Map In the example below the market direction indication shows a move to the upside but the market strength indication is mixed This means that there are almost as many stocks declining as there are rising If the overall market sentiment were more bullish you would see more participation in the upward move and less red on the market strength indication Figure 8 2 Market Strength Reflected on Leading Indicator Vertical Bar Strong market moves are signified on the Leading Indicator when market strength and direction are in synch In the following example we see that the S amp P 500 index was consolidating after a small upward move Yet the leading indicator shows that not only is the direction of the market turning back down but also there is strength behind the move as almost all securities are beginning to decline On the next day the S amp P began a four month downward trend VisualTrader User Guide 76 nirvanasystems com Chapter 8 Determining Market Direction Figure 8 3 Leading Indicator Shows Shift in Strength and Direction Before Downtrend Nirvana Systems Inc 77 Vi
8. futures options and indexes Creating a Map Follow these instructions to create a new Map in VisualTrader 1 To create a new Map click File New The New Map dialog box appears File name IT esl v a Save as type Visual Trader Maps vtp ne Cancel Figure 4 1 New Map Dialog Box 2 If you want to save the Map in a different folder locate and open the folder 3 In the File name field type a name for the Map 4 Click Save and you will be presented with a blank Map Once you have saved your new Map you can make changes to the group definitions and symbols Nirvana Systems Inc 33 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps Editing Maps You can edit the symbol list of any existing Map in the Symbol Edit window Make sure that you are in the Map you wish to edit in order to access its list of symbols Follow these instructions to edit an existing Map in VisualTrader You can also edit the symbol list of any existing Map by using this feature Just be sure that you are in the Map you wish to edit in order to access its list of symbols 1 To edit group definitions and symbols in existing Maps click Edit Symbol List The Edit Map dialog box ab Edit Map appears Edit your map Index P Advertising oP Aerospace amp Defense sp Agricultural Products ep Air Freight amp Logistics sp Airlines sP Aluminum oP Apparel Retail F Application Software s
9. it to the desired location Renaming a Group in the Map You can rename a group in your Map 1 Click Edit Symbol List The Edit Map dialog box appears 2 Right click on the group name in the left column and select Rename from the context menu 3 Enter the new group name in the Rename Group dialog box and click OK Adding a Security to the VisualTrader Database If you try to add a security to the map using the Quick Chart feature or the Edit Map dialog box and that security is not part of the VisualTrader database you will need to complete some information about the security to add it to the database so that it can be added to your map 1 Add a security to the map If this security is not in the database the Add Symbol dialog box will appear Symbol fo Name Re O Type Stock O Country UNITED STATES w Exchange Nasoaa Cancel Figure 4 6 Add Symbol Dialog Box VisualTrader User Guide 38 nirvanasystems com Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps 2 Complete the Symbol Name Type Country and Exchange information for the security 3 Click OK and the security will be added to the database Nirvana Systems Inc 39 VisualTrader User Guide VisualTrader Charts The List and Map in Visual Trader are designed to bring great trade candidates to your attention Once our attention has been brought to a candidate we have the ability to view a chart of an individual security all of the securit
10. pen Systems Enable Force lt ADX B BND C BOL BOL T ccc cclD CIFP CCIP CHAD CHAP CN BH CN CA CN DS CNEL CN HAM Optimi System Description v Average Directional Movement Trading Band Crossover Bollinger Band Crossover Bollinger Band w ADX Trend Commodity Channel Index Cro Commodity Channel Index Div Commodity Channel Index Fib Commodity Channel Index Pe Chaikin Level Divergence Chaikin Level Peaks Candle Pattern Belt Hold Candle Pattern Counter Attac Candle Pattern Doji Star Candle Pattern Engulfing Line Candle Pattern Harami Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Parameters ADX Periods ADX Level Defaults M Symbol amp Timeframe Symbol Timeframe Curent a M Optimization Performance Metric IV Use Reversing Signals Optimize Using N bars hd Number of Bars APR X VINK K KK K KK KK m vi v v v v v v v v vi v v v v l X ChUUKAD Candia Daten L arananr ML snes zI IV Optimize Delete Duplicate IV Enable I Force eer _ ox Figure 10 3 Systems Block VisualTrader includes the following Systems block components Nirvana Systems Inc 93 Enable Tests the selected system against the securities in the Focus List Force Forces the selected sys
11. systems to generate signals Nirvana Systems Inc 95 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Configuring the Vote Block The Vote block defines the settings used to generate a voted or consensus signal from multiple system signals These settings include Voting Tolerance Voting Method Conflict Resolution and Advisor Cutoff o Next Pivot Poit H Figure 10 5 Vote Block VisualTrader User Guide 96 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader The Vote block includes the following settings e Voting Tolerance Refers to the number of bars that VisualTrader looks back to consider a system signal for a voted signal In the above example VisualTrader considers the signals fired by the systems in the last 5 bars for a voted signal e Voting Method Refers to how VisualTrader uses the system signals to generate a strategy s Signal Line Best Signal according to Rank System signals are ranked according to the criteria in the Performance block In this voting method VisualTrader uses the Performance ranking to decide which signal to pass to the Signal Line Majority of Longs or Shorts When multiple signals are fired VisualTrader looks for a majority of signals in either direction to determine the type of trade to take long or short All inputs below Signal Line must fire Long or Short This system requires all active signals to fire in the same
12. 2 VisualTrader 3 0 Registration Ed r Licensing Information Name Company Customer Number CD key Figure 2 2 Registration Dialog Box 2 Enter your Name Company if applicable Customer Number and CD Key The Customer Number is located in the upper right hand corner of your invoice The CD Key is on the back of your VisualTrader CD case 3 Click OK to accept the entered registration information The Data Settings dialog box will appear prompting you to set up your data source nye Note You can also access the Registration dialog box by clicking Help Registration in VisualTrader VisualTrader User Guide 4 nirvanasystems com Chapter 2 Getting Started Setting Up Your Data Source Easy Data Easy Data is data that is downloaded by VisualTrader Examples of Easy Data vendors would be OmniData eSignal and Quote com User Data is data that is downloaded by software other than VisualTrader Examples of User Data vendors would be TC2000 or Reuters If you are using User Data in VisualTrader refer to Setting Up Your Data Source User Data in this chapter Setting Up OmniData Once you have installed OmniData you can begin collecting data by setting up OmniData as your data vendor Follow these instructions to set up your Easy Data data source in VisualTrader after you complete the registration information 1 Launch VisualTrader and select Edit Data Settings Symbol and Data Settings EJ Datafeed
13. 37 C stomi ing Map Colors sess cscs nea o E Ee 37 Re rra sine Mapsi e a a e EEEE E EA AE OE AE SE 38 Renaming a Group in the Map sseesssseseeesseerssrssssrsrrsrsresrssesresreresresrneseseeseeet 38 Adding a Security to the VisualTrader Database 0 eee eee eseeeeeeeseeeseceeeseeneeaes 38 Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Charti g Symbols aiies ae eae A E ee 42 Charting Symbols from the List ee eee eeceseceeceseeeeesseeeseeseeeaetseeeseeseees 44 Charting Groups ii a seede sce yeti OR AOR as eset A ed en 45 Charting All the Symbols in a Group eee eeceeseeeeeeeceeeeseeeeeeseeeeeseeseees 46 Scrollins Through Charts si iAcicn stitial inet ag estes 46 Adjusting the Chart Area os ee ee ee a EARE ERSE AEAN EE EE E AEE 47 Changing TimefraMe Sanie heii scesectyscivectss speseives grades donner ta evan eeeenigeeaantens R S 49 Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Drawing TOOLS nainen ree Stas E tect TAE hes th ices teats ele ue A A AR S 53 Adding Symbols to the Watch List ss seesseessesesssesesseesresrsresrssesrestsresresrnrentnersreersest 53 Reloading Data Real Time Feature ec eeeecceesceseceseceseeceseeeeecsaeeececsaeeeneeeeaeenaes 54 Adding Indicators to Charts cece ecesceeseesscesecseeeseseeceseseeeseseecsseeseeeaecseseseeeseaeeaeeeaes 55 Removing Indicators isterie e eden seater seas sees ve Seeds ete bee eee ss 56 Adding Line Studies in Visual Trader eee eeeseeseeeseesecesecseceseeseeesececeseesee
14. AG Uana Cr rminhinan HAnnlinnnnn Number of symbols 506 VisualTrader User Guide Figure 4 2 Edit Map Dialog Box 34 nirvanasystems com Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps 2 From the Edit Map dialog box you can add groups to the map add symbols to the map remove groups and symbols from the map and rename a group in the map Adding Groups or Symbols to a Map You can add groups and symbols to a map and create new groups and symbols from the Edit Map dialog box The left side of the window reflects the current securities and groups in your Map The right side of the window shows a database of groups and securities that you can add to your Map This database includes all of the current Maps in your VisualTrader as well as some predefined lists that we have created To add a group or symbol to the Map complete the following steps 1 Click Edit Symbol List The Edit Map dialog box appears 2 Inthe right column click on the plus sign next to a group to show the list of stocks 3 Click on the group or symbol you want to add and drag it over to the left side of the window or click on the Add and Remove buttons between the columns The group you selected and all of the components of that group are added to the left column 4 Click Save to add your changes to the map Creating and Adding New Groups or Symbols You can also add your own groups or symbols in VisualTrader It is important to remember that you ne
15. Strategies are used to generate a voted or consensus signal Once a signal has passed to the Vote Line it stays in trade until an exit rule as defined by the strategy that generated the signal closes the trade Reading Vote Lines For most strategies the Vote Line displays an entry signal and an exit signal Depending on the settings of the Orders block and whether you have chosen to display entry and exit delays you may see additional annotation on your Vote Line The Execution settings on the Entries tab of the Orders block define how a trade is entered once a signal has reached the Vote Line The Execution setting on the Exits tab of the Orders block define how a trade is exited VisualTrader User Guide 110 nirvanasystems com Index Numerics 15 Minute Timeframe 49 A About Charting Tools amp Alerts 51 Drawing Tools 53 Measurement Timeframes 86 Measurements in VisualTrader 87 Transform Calculations 82 Transforms Available in VisualTrader 81 VisualTrader 1 VisualTrader Charts 41 VisualTrader Maps 17 Acceleration 84 87 Actions Tab 12 16 Activating Playback Feature 32 Active Alert List 58 59 Add Group 35 Symbol 35 Symbol dialog box 38 Adding Blocks with Strategy Builder 109 Groups to a Map 35 Indicators to Charts 55 Line Studies 56 New Groups 35 New Symbols 35 Securities to the database 38 Symbols 53 Symbols to a Map 35 Symbols to the Watch List 53 Adjusting Chart Area 46 Advisor Cutoff 96 97 Adv
16. and then clicking on the group Quick Chart Box Figure 5 3 Quick Chart Box 3 Note The symbol must exist on your Map to be charted VisualTrader User Guide 44 nirvanasystems com Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Charting Groups The plates in VisualTrader usually represent industry groups with the components of that group security cylinders resting on the plate Clicking on the plate will bring up a chart for that industry group This chart is a composite representation of all of the stocks on that plate Figure 5 4 Composite Representation of All Stocks on the Plate You can also view the composite group chart of a symbol by clicking the Group button at the top of the chart For example let s say that you have a chart for DELL displayed By clicking on Group button you will immediately see the composite chart of the Personal Computers industry group displayed Nirvana Systems Inc 45 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Charting All the Symbols in a Group VisualTrader gives you the ability to bring up a chart for all the stocks in an Industry Group simply by holding down the Shift key and then clicking on the plate of the Industry Group Figure 5 5 View of Charts for All Stock in the Industry Group Scrolling Through Charts A quick way to scroll through the charts in VisualTrader is to use the Page Up and Page Down keys on your keyboard When a symbol in the list is highlighted you c
17. charts in one of two ways You can have a red vertical line illustrating the date or you can have the chart adjust so that the playback date is the last bar on the chart To specify which option you would like right click on Playback Feature Control and select your desired preference Running the Playback There are a few different ways to run the playback You can grab the green slider and scroll back and forward to different moments in time to see how the Map looked at that particular instant You can also use the arrows on each side of the scroll bar to move back and forward one bar at a time The most commonly used method of playback is to use the Playback Start Flag Position this flag where you would like the playback to begin and then each time that you click the Play button the playback will automatically start at that point and run to the current bar OFat Be Medium O Slow 09 21 04 08 30 00 Stop Pause Play Figure 3 16 Playback Start Flag VisualTrader User Guide 32 nirvanasystems com Creating amp Customizing Maps When you first begin using VisualTrader it is recommended that you use one of the Maps provided by Nirvana Systems As you become more familiar with the software you will probably want to edit a Map or create one of your own VisualTrader is not limited to stocks Any security that your VisualTrader compatible data vendor provides you with data for can be added to your Maps This includes
18. example if you select a Trendline Segment and change its color to orange you can click the Set As Default button to make all subsequent Trendline Segments orange Nirvana Systems Inc 57 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts OmniTrader Alerts Once price has penetrated the alert line the symbol will move from the Active Alert List to the Fired Alert List where it will flash to let you know that an alert has been fired VisualTrader will also give you an audible notification of the alert firing In the example below NXTL moved through the Support Line triggering an alert Notice how the symbol moved from the Active Alert List to the Fired Alert List Figure 6 7 NXTL Moves to the Fired Alert List Once the Support Line is Penetrated Q Tip To review a chart on the Fired Alert List Active Alert List or Watch List just click on the corresponding symbol in the list The Chart Tools menu allows you to draw Trendlines Support and Resistance Lines and the Rule of Eighth s Tool all with alerts immediately applied Simply select which type of line study you want to draw and once you have drawn it VisualTrader will automatically alert you once price has penetrated that line VisualTrader User Guide 58 nirvanasystems com Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Resetting an Alert You have the ability to reset an alert in VisualTrader once it has been fired Click on the line which is a
19. in the bottom right of your VisualTrader screen will switch your display to the timeframe selected You can use the scrollbars to view more or less data on the charts as well Current Number of Bars Displayed scrollbar i Figure 5 10 VisualTrader Timeframes It is important to remember that when you select a timeframe in VisualTrader the complete display will change to that timeframe For example if you select the 15 Minute Timeframe then all of the Transforms will reflect calculations using 15 Minute Bars and all charts displayed will be 15 Minute Charts Nirvana Systems Inc 49 VisualTrader User Guide Charting Tools amp Alerts VisualTrader includes a number of charting tools to help you analyze charts as well as to alert you once price has penetrated a specific level By clicking on a chart you will be presented with a Price and Volume window This window will display the volume open close high and low price of the bar that your mouse cursor is currently over represented by crosshairs The price displayed at the bottom of this window reflects the current position of your mouse cursor Figure 6 1 Price and Volume Window in VisualTrader Nirvana Systems Inc 51 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts All of the features that we have looked at up to this point help us in identifying good trade candidates as quickly as possible Once you have found a good trade candidate
20. or entered a trade you will most likely wish to use VisualTrader s Charting Tools Figure 6 2 Chart Example VisualTrader User Guide 52 nirvanasystems com Chapter6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Drawing Tools By right clicking on a chart in VisualTrader you are presented with a menu of Charting Tools Figure 6 3 Charting Tools Context Menu Adding Symbols to the Watch List To add symbols to your Watch List 1 Right click on a symbol in the Opportunity List or in the chart for the security 2 Select Add to Watch List from the context menu The currently charted security will be added to your Watch List Nirvana Systems Inc 53 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts To remove a symbol from your Watch List 1 Right click on the symbol in your Watch List 2 Select Delete from the context menu You can clear your entire Watch List by right clicking in the list and selecting Delete All Watch List Items Figure 6 4 Add to Watch List Right click Menu In this example LTD has been added to the Watch List To remove it right click on the symbol in the Watch List and select Delete Reloading Data Real Time Feature At times you will receive bad ticks or incomplete data from your real time data vendor The data vendor will normally correct these issues at a later time To replace the bad information with their corrected information right click on the chart and select
21. testing process will automatically take place after the number of periods specified by the Optimize on option This is the default selection in all of VisualTrader s profiles Back Test period of Refers to the amount of data that VisualTrader uses to train the strategies All backtest statistics refer to the data contained in this period Forward Test period of Refers to the number of the latest bars that are not included in the Backtest Period Any data that is contained in the Forward Test period uses the optimal parameters generated in the Backtest Period For example if you had a Backtest Period of 250 days and a Forward Test Period of 100 days then the Trading Strategies would use the 250 days in the Backtest Period to optimize its settings which are then applied throughout the 100 days in the Forward Test Period 3 Note The Forward Test Period is intended to help you evaluate how a Trading Strategy would perform without the assistance of optimization While the Forward Test Period helps evaluate a Trading Strategy s performance it is intended as an evaluation tool only For actual trading it is not recommended that you use a Forward Test Period so that you have the benefit of your Trading Strategies being trained on the latest data Optimize on Allows you to define the time period for testing You can set VisualTrader to re test on a Daily Weekly Monthly or Quarterly basis e Fixed Test Period Choose a fixed da
22. true range over 9 periods The measurement shows breakouts outside the range Volatility Band Figure 9 5 Volatility Breakout Chart Example e Net Percent Gain Loss Net Percent is measured for both the current bar in the timeframe of interest and the current session Net Percent session Use to see where the market is relative to yesterday s close Net Percent bar Use to see which stock has moved the most on the current bar e Velocity of Price Velocity is measured as Net Change over the prior 5 bars e Acceleration of Price Acceleration is measured as the average Change in Velocity over the past 5 bars e Average Volume Average Volume is the percentage which volume has changed above or below a 26 Period Moving Average of volume This measurement shows whether the most recent bar s volume is above or below the normal range for the security Short 8 15 periods Medium 12 26 periods Long 30 55 periods VisualTrader User Guide 84 nirvanasystems com Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Creating Transforms The most visual characteristics of a cylinder are the height and body color These should always be prioritized as the most important Measurements of your Transforms Before creating a Transform have an idea of what type of candidates you are trying to identify For example if you decide that you would like to create a Transform that finds breakouts o
23. 4 Trad WK ADBES Ta ap hafi ey ulu Mic a nt ald lili ilirida vii ul walu ll nina Last 1055 70 Ti DAY HDX amp H Figure 7 9 Example Layout After Clicking on ADBE This example was meant to walk you through the basics of establishing a Layout While we used an end of day example it is easy to see how this can apply in real time as well Nirvana Systems Inc 71 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter7 Chart Layouts Plotting Indicators in Layouts When you plot an indicator from the Main Page that indicator is applied to all charts until you remove it But when you plot an indicator in a Layout the indicator is specific to the chart that is displayed in that Pane only Let s go back to our example Layout Here we see an Exponential Moving Average on the Daily chart On Balance Volume is plotted on the Weekly chart a MACD Histogram is shown on the Group chart and Stochastics is plotted on the Index chart a a Last 35 54 Tra DAY BGENS Last 35 54 Trad WK BGEN G ee T M ITANA REPETA D UA CAN DETTI N dallua atanla la ah Putao aala llia M a Last 2 DAY amp Biotechnology 3 Group Last 1051 12 Ti DAY amp nDx amp l l i j rat T Figure 7 10 Indicators Plotted in a Layout In a Layout whenever you select a new security from the Opportunity List you will see these same indicators plotted on the new securities charts VisualTrader User Guide 72 nirvanasystems com Chapter
24. 7 Chart Layouts Troubleshooting Chart Layouts There are a couple of situations which will cause you to automatically be switched to the Main Chart Page when you are in a Layout e If all of the charts are locked and there is not an available Pane to plot a chart that you have selected you will be switched to the Main Page so that you can view the chart This allows you to retain your Layout settings and still view a selected chart at any time e If you hold the Shift key down and click on a group you will be switched to the Main Page so that you can view all of the group component charts without affecting your Layout You can have an infinite number of Layouts However if you are using a real time data feed please realize that all of the charts in the layout will be continuously collecting data during market hours This will count against your data vendors symbol limit so be sure and delete any unused Layouts Converting a Chart to a Layout If you have charts on the Main Chart Page and want to convert them to a Layout you can right click in the Charts Form and select Copy to New Layout You will be prompted to type in a name for the Layout and once you click OK your new Layout will be created Deleting Renaming a Layout You can delete or rename a Layout by right clicking on its current name in the Charts Form area 3 Note You can have an infinite number of Layouts However if you are using a real time data feed pl
25. 78 Editing the Leading Indicator ieee eeeeseceeceeeeseesseeseceseeseeneeeseseeeeaeenaes 78 Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Transforms Available in Visual Trader ccccccssccccesssssecccceesssececeeesssseeeceeesssseeeeeees 81 Transform Calculations ss cccis scessccdiccsessccecscavesctase osesssnacscdvevsdecndsvasvaceudeedesuuevsdedesouseeaeeess 82 Creating Tram stor s sees suche asc e e e E E e AK E ET AEN a cotpeeds 85 Editing Transforms sossen na a E O cess ees ia eis 85 Saving Your Transform ecsus coeesce sos iceesu tess tock osdevs En S PEEKE E E ARAE des teeth 86 Measurement TIMEA Se a aaa AAAA A EN E ESEAS OEKE S 86 Measurements in VisualTrader ccccccccccessssccccesesseeecceesesasecceeessseeccesesesseseeeeesseeeeees 87 Reversal Measurements iarsan nenia e E EE R EE 87 Trend Change Measurements 000 00 iegarenas iii ases 88 Trending Measurement nna e E a E ER AA 88 Nirvana Systems Inc vij VisualTrader User Guide Contents Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader VisualTrader User Guide viji nirvanasystems com Editing Trading Strategies from the To Do LiSt eee cece eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetaeenees 89 Editing Strategies Using the Strategy Selector eee eeeeseeeceseeseeeseceeeeseteeeeseeeees 90 Strategy Flow Chant ssis iseis iar asne rtn aasa a iaa aa Er Ea aai 90 Navigating the Flow Chartsciscrninsiicuaenieni ni n a a 91 Editing Blocks in the Flow Chart esese
26. LL BEAR Filter Figure 4 4 Quick Chart Feature VisualTrader User Guide 36 nirvanasystems com Removing Groups and Symbols You can remove entire groups or individual symbols from your Map 1 Click Edit Symbol List The Edit Map dialog box appears 2 In the left column highlight the groups or symbols you want to delete Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps 3 Click the Remove button or click on the group or symbol and drag it to the recycle bin at the top of the window Customizing Map Colors To customize your map colors select Edit gt Map Options The Map Properties dialog box appears where you can edit the color amp transparency of the floor and transforms in VisualTrader Nirvana Systems Inc m Transformation Colors Up Color Median Color Down Color HighLight Color Body Saturation Roof Saturation b Map Properties Ed LLL Ee la le EE Color Settings Control Opaqueness Floor Opaqueness Group Opaqueness Ambient Light Floor Color Text Color M Display World Grid L Le Le 1 Liki E Reset Cancel OK Figure 4 5 Map Properties Dialog Box 37 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps Rearranging Maps By default VisualTrader Maps are sorted alphabetically by group name If you want to change the layout of your Map you can do so by clicking on a plate and dragging
27. M Optimization Optimize Re Entries Using Figure 10 10 Orders Re Entry Tab The Re Entry Rules include e Do Not Re enter Trades No Re entry signal is generated e Re enter Trades if Stopped Out TIf the trade stops out a new signal is generated in the same direction as the previous trade This option has three VisualTrader User Guide 104 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader parameters The first parameter sets the maximum number of time to re entry while the second parameter sets re entry until a maximum loss percentage relative to the original signal is reached Once either one of these re entry parameters is reached the trade will no longer re enter The third parameter sets the time frame in which the re entry rules are valid Once the designated time frame has been exceeded the re entry options will no longer be in effect e Reverse Trades if Stopped Out If the trade stops out a new signal is generated in the opposite direction of the previous trade The same rules and parameters apply as for Re enter Trades if Stopped Out above Using Strategies to Find Candidates VisualTrader includes various Trading Strategies that you can use to find candidates While all of these strategies are editable we recommend that you save any changes made to the supplied strategies under a different name to keep the initial settings of these strategies intact for future use or reference Vo
28. Point Stop 103 Trailing Profit Stop 103 Transforms 49 81 86 Calculations 82 Creating 85 Editing 85 Saving 86 Trend 87 88 Trend Change 87 Trend Change Measurements 88 Trending Measurements 88 Troubleshooting Chart Layouts 73 Two Moving Average Stop 104 U Understanding Cylinder Characteristics 20 User Data 5 7 Using Keyboard 22 Orders Block 101 Page Down key 46 Page Up key 46 Performance Block 94 Playback Start Flag 32 VisualTrader User Guide Index V Velocity 84 87 View Charts 46 Commands 10 List 10 More Information 21 Opportunities 27 Second Opportunity List 30 VisualTrader About 1 Charts 41 Database 38 Installing 3 Introduction to 1 Line Studies 56 Map 1 17 19 Measurements 87 Price and Volume Window 51 Registering 4 Running Analysis 11 Signals 28 Strategies 89 Timeframes 49 To Do List 11 Transforms 81 VisualTrader User Guide 116 VisualTrader s Analysis 11 Volatility 87 Volatility Breakouts 84 Volume Change 87 Vote Block 96 Line 110 Multiple Strategies 105 Vote Line 110 Voting Method 97 107 Process 110 Tolerance 97 107 W Watch List 53 Z Zooming In 10 23 91 Zooming Out 10 23 91 Profit Stops 103 nirvanasystems com
29. Reload Data This will delete all of the current data and collect the latest data VisualTrader User Guide 54 nirvanasystems com Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Adding Indicators to Charts You can add over 50 of the most popular indicators to your VisualTrader charts directly from the Chart Tools menu 1 Right click on a chart and select the Add Indicator menu option 2 Select an indicator from the list of available indicators When you select an indicator you will see it plotted on your chart and the Indicator Properties window will appear ab MACD Histogram x Indicator Parameters Short Periods Ao o o S e Long Periods O E a Signal Line lt gt bBo Line Styles Restore Cancel a Figure 6 5 Indicator Properties Window for the MACD Histogram This window allows you to adjust the parameters of indicators as well as change the line color and thickness You can either type in the values that you want to change to or use the scroll bar to adjust the parameters When you move the scroll bar you will see the indicator adjust as you scroll Nirvana Systems Inc 55 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Removing Indicators You can remove an indicator from your chart by either clicking on the indicator and pressing your Delete key or you can right click on an indicator and select Delete Realize that when you remove an indicator from one chart i
30. VisualTrader OmniTrader it can be imported into your VisualTrader program For more information on transferring strategies between OmniTrader and VisualTrader refer to Importing amp Exporting Strategies in this chapter Editing Strategies Using the Strategy Selector The Strategy Selector provides quick access to the analysis and signals generated for each of your trading strategies as well as immediate access to the strategy s Flow Chart You can find the Strategy Selector at the top of your VisualTrader screen When you select a strategy from the drop down menu your Focus List and Vote Line reflect the results of the selected strategy If you select All Strategies then the Focus List and Vote Line reflect the results of the strategy voting process as defined by strategy voting To make changes to a Trading Strategy from the main VisualTrader window complete the following steps 1 From the Strategy Selector drop down menu select the strategy you want to edit Figure 10 1 Strategy Selector 2 Click on the Edit Strategy button next to the Strategy Selector drop down box to open the Flow Chart 3 Double click on the component you want to edit Strategy Flow Chart The progression of a raw signal through a Trading Strategy is represented in a Flow Chart A Flow Chart contains the blocks or components in a Trading Strategy that will determine when a signal fires and when it is exited 3 Note You have the ability to
31. VisualTrader User Guide March 2005 Edition BK VT 01 01 4 NirvanaSystems Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information www nirvanasystems com Nirvana Systems Corporate Headquarters 7000 N MoPac Suite 425 Austin Texas 78731 USA Tel 512 345 2545 Fax 512 345 4225 Sales Information For product information or to place an order please contact 800 880 0338 or 512 345 2566 You may also fax 512 345 4225 or send email to sales nirvanasystems com Technical Support Information For assistance in installing or using Nirvana products please contact 512 345 2592 You may also fax 512 345 4225 or send email to support nirvanasystems com To comment on the documentation send email to documentation nirvanasystems com 2005 Nirvana Systems Inc All rights reserved Important Information Copyright Under the copyright laws this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording storing in an information retrieval system or translating in whole or in part without the prior written consent of Nirvana Systems Inc Trademarks OmniTrader VisualTrader Adaptive Reasoning Model ARM ARM Knowledge Base Easy Data The Trading Game Focus List The Power to Trade with Confidence The Path to Trading Success The Trader s Advantage Pattern Tutor and Chart Pattern Recognition Module are trademarks of Nirv
32. Vote Line Must Fire Long or Short This method requires all strategies to fire in the same direction within the tolerated period for a signal to be generated to the Vote Line Then VisualTrader uses the highest ranking strategy s exit rules for the Vote Line trade e At Least In this method a minimal percentage of active strategies must fire in the same direction in the tolerated period to generate a Vote Line signal As with the three previous methods VisualTrader uses the highest ranking strategies for Vote Line trade e Conflict Resolution Determines how VisualTrader handles conflicting strategy signals during the voting process A conflicting signal occurs when signals fire in opposite direction within the tolerated period You can choose to ignore the conflict and VisualTrader will generate a signal based on your selected voting method Other options include having no signals generated if there is any conflict or to only have a signal generated if a minimal percentage of signals are in the same direction Sy Note Signals below the Vote Line are strategies that have passed the Performance Filters Such strategies will be noted in the Strategy Voting dialog box When you vote multiple strategies some of the strategies will be grayed out The coloring of the strategy s Signal Line tells you which strategies have passed the filters If the color is green then the strategy has passed all Performance Filters and its signals will b
33. ader Configuring the Filter Block Filters apply indicators and other conditions to filter out signals that do not meet the specified criteria For example a filter could require that price be above the Simple Moving Average to allow a long signal ab Filter Parameters Allow Long Signals When m Entry filter Consensus Enabled Optimize Filter v F Parameter Opti Min Max Incre Default Periods v 15 35 S 25 Moving Average Simple Defaults V Enable f Optimize Delete Add Close Price x gt x Indicator x bars ago 2 Any All AtLeast co M Symbol amp Timeframe o a o barsago Symbol Timeframe Curent E M Allow Short Signals When Optimization i 7 Perf Metric i Close Price x Indicator bars ago erformance Metric N bars X IV Use Reversing Signals Number of Bars E F F seie Optimize Using APR Figure 10 6 Simple Moving Average Filter VisualTrader includes the following Filter block components Allow Long Short Signals When To define a filter you need to specify a relationship between various factors For example you may want to create a filter that only allows long signals to pass if the current close price is above the high price one bar ago Another example would be to create a filter to only allow a signal in either direction if volume is higher than the previous bar s volume You can a
34. allows you to go back to a point in recent trading sessions and see how VisualTrader would have looked at that exact moment By using the Playback Feature you can see the momentum shifts from one industry group to another The Playback Feature not only shows you the state of the market at particular time but it also displays the shift in the strength and weaknesses of industry groups By letting the Playback Feature play over the latest bars of data you will see certain groups gain momentum helping you to confirm the direction of the group as well as the market as a whole Another use of the playback tool is to see the type of candidates that each Transform will present for you Transforms are discussed in depth in the next chapter Once you have read that chapter we recommend that you use the Playback Feature to actually see how each Transform reacts to market data This will help you in deciding which Transform best suits your trading style The Playback Feature Playback Speed Playback Start Flag Playback Slider Playback Date and Time Playback Controls Figure 3 15 Playback Feature Nirvana Systems Inc 31 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Activating the Playback Feature To activate the Playback Feature click on View Playback Feature The Playback Feature will appear at the bottom of your VisualTrader screen When using the Playback Feature you can have the current playback date indicated on
35. an use the Page Down key to automatically bring up a chart for the symbol just below it or the Page Up key to bring up a chart of the symbol just above it VisualTrader User Guide 46 nirvanasystems com Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Adjusting the Chart Area You can adjust your chart area in different ways You can shift the chart horizontally by clicking in the date area and dragging left or right r PEET r PAFFI Lust PU Lie ce ee T SE Date area Figure 5 6 Shift Chart Horizontally by Dragging Date Area to Left or Right You can compress or expand the chart horizontally by right clicking in the date area and dragging left to expand or right to compress Figure 5 7 Compress Chart by Right clicking in the Date Area and Dragging to the Right Shifting a chart vertically can be done by clicking in the price area and dragging up or down Nirvana Systems Inc 47 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts a Last 4 759 Trade 12 49 54 Bid 4 Price area Figure 5 8 Shift Chart by Clicking Price Area and Dragging Up You can also expand or compress a chart vertically by right clicking in the price area and dragging up or down Last 4 742 Trade 12 56 27 Bid 4 Figure 5 9 Compress Chart Vertically by Right clicking in Price Area and Dragging Down VisualTrader User Guide 48 nirvanasystems com Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Changing Timeframes The Timeframe Toolbar located
36. ana Systems Inc Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies DISCLAIMER REGARDING USE OF NIRVANA SYSTEMS PRODUCTS Trading stocks mutual funds futures and options involves high risk including possible loss of principal and other losses Neither the software nor any demonstration of its operation should be construed as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities or security derivative products of any kind Neither Nirvana s OmniTrader VisualTrader Nirvana Systems Inc nor its employees and affiliates recommends any specific security for purchase or sale nor do they recommend any specific approach to investing in securities Nirvana Systems Inc is not an investment advisory service nor a registered investment advisor or broker dealer No representation is being made that the methods presented will guarantee profits in trading Past performance whether actual or indicated by historical systems testing is no guarantee of future performance or success Information presented by Nirvana Systems Inc is from sources Nirvana believes are reliable However Nirvana has not independently verified such information Conventions bold italic monospace The following conventions are used in this manual The symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options to a final action The sequence File Page Setup Options directs you to pu
37. anently delete the strategy e Strategy Voting Opens a window in which you can specify how your profile should handle multiple strategy signals In a voting process you can choose to use the most appropriate strategy based on the performance criteria selected or you Nirvana Systems Inc 13 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter2 Getting Started can use all active strategies For more information about Trading Strategies refer to Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader e New Opens the New Strategy dialog box so that you can create your own strategies e Edit Opens the highlighted strategy s Flow Chart This allows you to make changes to the strategy in the Flow Chart Use the Strategies tab to manage the list of strategies and edit the parameters of each individual strategy To Do List Test Settings Tab The Test Settings Tab allows you to modify the test settings in VisualTrader to match the test settings for your strategies in OmniTrader a To Do List 250 oo o 7 9 20 2004 Y 9 20 2004 Y Figure 2 10 To Do List Test Settings Tab VisualTrader User Guide 14 nirvanasystems com Chapter 2 Getting Started The options in this dialog box affect the signal generation of your VisualTrader strategies so it is recommended that you only adjust these options if you wish to match the profile settings in OmniTrader The Test Settings tab contains the following options e Floating Test Period Signifies that the
38. ar s open price If this exit is used you will see a dash from the exit signal and next bar e Stop Market Exits the trade at the price that triggers an exit rule For a description of each exit rule or stop click on the Stop to see a brief summary with a diagram There are three categories of Exit rules Protective Stops Profit Stops and General Stops e General Stops VisualTrader has the following General Stops Inactivity Stop Signals an exit when price does not move to the gain side a specified level in a pre determined amount of time Reversing Signal Signals an exit when a signal in the opposite direction is generated to the Vote Line N Bar Signals an exit when a trade has been open for a specific number of bars e Profit Stops Once price has moved to the gain side of a trade Profit Stops can maximize gains without over reacting to retracements VisualTrader has the following Profit Stops Eighth s Stop Once price crosses an Eighth s level defined by ATR s the stop is raised to the previous Eighth s level Fixed Profit Stop A trade stops out once it has attained a pre determined profit Moving Average Stop A trade exits once its price retraces through a moving average Trailing Profit Stop tThis stop follows a trade in the gain direction a certain amount behind the highest price Next Pivot Point Stop A trade exits once a pivot point forms on the gain side Profit Pivot Point Sto
39. c 17 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Figure 3 2 Plates and Cylinders Nirvana Systems has provided the following pre designed Maps for you Dow 30 NASDAQ 100 S amp P 100 S amp P 500 Nirvana 100 and Nirvana 500 The first four Maps contain the components of each index The Nirvana 100 and Nirvana 500 Maps are designed to maximize VisualTrader s ability to find group rotations Nirvana Systems has researched each stock in these Maps to see how tightly they correlate to the other stocks in its particular industry group With a Map of such highly correlated stocks it is much easier to see group rotations as they occur Nirvana Systems will continue to update the stocks and industries in the Nirvana 100 and 500 Maps giving you our latest research on the most correlated stocks Loading Maps Real Time Version VisualTrader collects data for all supplied time frames when you load a Map The time it takes to collect the data for a Map depends on the following factors e Your data vendor e Your computer speed e The last time you collected data for that particular Map e The speed of your internet connection If VisualTrader does not have complete data for a stock in the time frame you are viewing the cylinder for that stock will look transparent VisualTrader User Guide 18 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps In order to make sure that you have complete data for all of the stocks in your Map
40. dd another set of criteria to a filter and if it is based on price and volume it does not have to be dependent upon the indicator itself Parameters Allows you to select the default value of the indicator you will use for your filter Entry Filter Consensus In the Entry Filter Consensus box you can use multiple filters in a variety of ways You can specify that for VisualTrader to generate a VisualTrader User Guide 98 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader signal all filters must be passed any of the filters be passed or a percentage of the filters be passed ay Note This setting refers to multiple filters not multiple conditions within one filter In the previous example we set two conditions to be passed in the same filter for a signal to be generated These conditions must both be met for the signal regardless of the setting in the Entry Filter Consensus box To have at least one of the conditions be met for a signal to be generated we would need to create a separate filter and for one of the conditions and then choose the Any option on the Entry Filter Consensus box e Symbol amp Timeframe and Optimization The Symbol amp Timeframe and Optimization features are only available if you have purchased the Strategy Builder plug in Nirvana Systems Inc 99 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Configuring the Confirm Block A Confirmer is similar to a F
41. der and requests historical bars based on the Data Periods dialog box settings As data arrives VisualTrader analyzes it and generates signals in Real Time Normally a Real Time Profile initiates the Real Time process by itself as long as you are already connected to the Internet When you load a Real Time Profile it automatically begins the process of analysis and signal generation When Real Time is running the miniature moving chart appears in the lower left corner of the display a Figure 2 11 Real Time Process in the Status Bar To stop the Real Time Process for any reason click on the moving chart which will change to a solid red bar indicating the Real Time process is temporarily disabled Click the bar again to restart the process VisualTrader User Guide 16 nirvanasystems com VisualTrader Maps VisualTrader displays market activity on a Map Maps provide a visually dynamic method to view price and volume action allowing you to watch hundreds of stocks at once Figure 3 1 Map of the S amp P 100 VisualTrader s Maps consist of cylinders plates and signals Each cylinder represents a security The plate that a cylinder rests on usually represents that security s industry group Trading Signals show you when a security is in play The signals in the map and Opportunity List make it easy to see opportunities With a single click you can view the chart for the group or individual stock Nirvana Systems In
42. ders below the floor Nirvana Systems Inc 81 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Transform Calculations VisualTrader applies Measurements to market data in order to show market movement and momentum VisualTrader measures movement in the following ways Current Trend Momentum Trend is calculated as the value of the MACD moving average crossover divergence which is the difference between 2 averages in Short Medium and Long timeframe s Dounrend MACD lt 0 MACD Ln Pe mouan aa 3a ae eas eee F s ve Figure 9 2 Current Trend Momentum Chart Example VisualTrader User Guide 82 nirvanasystems com Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities e Change in Trend Change in Momentum Changes in trend is the value of a moving average of a MACD often called a MACD histogram in Short Medium or Long term hepa Figure 9 3 Change in Trend Change in Momentum Chart Example e Reversal in Trend A Reversal is fired when the MACD histogram reverses direction through zero in 3 time periods short medium long Tums in MACD Histogram fer y Figure 9 4 Reversal in Trend Chart Example Nirvana Systems Inc 83 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities e Volatility Breakouts Volatility is the measurement of movement outside a volatility band based on 2 0 times the average
43. direction within the tolerated period for a signal to be generated to the Signal Line At Least In this method a minimal percentage of active systems must fire in the same direction in the tolerated period to generate a signal e Conflict Resolution Determines how VisualTrader handles conflicting system signals during the voting process A conflicting signal occurs when a signal fires in the opposite direction within the tolerated period You can choose to ignore the conflict and generate a signal based on your selected voting method Other options include designating that VisualTrader generate no signals if there is any conflict or that VisualTrader only generate one signal if a minimal percentage of signals are in the same direction e Advisor Cutoff Numerical value that provides us a relative idea of how well the individual systems performed on a security For every signal generated to the Vote Line VisualTrader calculates an Advisor Rating The higher the advisor rating the better the individual systems performed on the security in the backtest period The Advisor Cutoff feature does not allow signals to pass to the Vote Line if the calculated Advisor Rating does not meet or exceed the cutoff value You can determine a cutoff value or allow VisualTrader to optimize the cutoff value which is what Nirvana Systems Inc recommends Nirvana Systems Inc 97 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTr
44. e considered in the voting process If the color is gray then the strategy has not passed filters and all signals are ignored The signals that are fired VisualTrader User Guide 108 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader by a filtered strategy will not contribute to the voting process and will not be considered when determining conflict resolution Creating New Strategies To create new strategies based on templates 1 Click on Edit To Do List 2 Select the Strategies tab in the To Do List 3 Click the New button at the bottom of the Strategies tab 4 Use the drop down menu to select a template on which to base your strategy and then create a name for the strategy 5 Click OK VisualTrader will display a Flow Chart reflecting the template you selected To customize the strategy edit the blocks in the Flow Chart Right click or double click on a block to open the settings for that component and edit them ay Note You can also create a new strategy by editing an existing strategy and then selecting Save As VisualTrader will save your edits under the new name and the original strategy s settings will remain intact Options Available Only with Strategy Builder Some of the options in the Flow Charts are only available if you have purchased the Strategy Builder plug in If you have not purchased the Strategy Builder these options will be disabled or grayed out in your Strategy Flow Chart The
45. eaeesees 56 Removing Lines from Your Charts cee eeeesceseeeseeseceseeseeeseceeenseeseeeaeesees 56 Customizing Line Properties eee eeseeseceseeseceseeeeeseeeeesececesesseeeseeaees 57 VisualTrader User Guide vi nirvanasystems com Contents OmniTrader Alerts o isani estes eei ann o EEE E EE a EEA EREE eds ENE 58 Resetting am Alert cse sscctsclstetsvesdestacagecdsshscasseeasts a a a a aeia 59 Managing Alerts rninn hacked a E a E E A E AAS 60 Ritle Of Bi ghtnss iescsiscis cecticosaa steht cess naaa a a a a a 61 Applying the Rule of Eighths Tool 0 0 eee eseeeeeeseceeeeseeneeesesseseneesees 62 Setting Audible Alerts for Eighth s Levels eee eeeeeeseceeeeeeseeeesereeeenees 63 Chapter 7 Chart Layouts Creating a Layout Pages iss oiie Sisstesceacpesioeli vs shesud E ea EEE escent testes AN KE a 66 Populating a Layouts sv nirea eiar atanevis eves tien a A vteesed 68 Locking Unlocking Layout Settings eee eee ee cecereceseeseseeeeaeseeesseeseeeaeeseeeseesseeas 69 Plotting Indicators in Layouts necer iri ea EA A S aiaa 72 Troubleshooting Chart Layouts sissende tiua eiers iidne 73 Converting a Chart to a Layout eee eeeeesseceseeseceseeseceeceseeseeeaeeneeeseceessesseseaeeaees 73 Deleting Renamitig a Layouten Ge tbs ceieeesstineev E sean TREE 73 Chapter 8 Determining Market Direction Determining Market Strength nosine a aa a aE REEE EEA 76 Setting Leading Indicator Alerts deee ersen aree asrar esae nE SEa AE SAE a RAS Ee AE RE
46. ease realize that all of the charts in the layout will be continuously collecting data during market hours This will count against your data vendors symbol limit so be sure and delete any unused Layouts Nirvana Systems Inc 73 VisualTrader User Guide Determining Market Direction One of the axioms of trading is that a rising tide lifts all boats This refers to the fact that market sentiment is global A bullish market will see most securities rise while a bearish market will see most securities fall When we take a trade we want to be in synch with overall market direction The Leading Indicator was created to help you determine overall market direction The VisualTrader Leading Indicator provides you with an indication of overall market sentiment and is designed to alert you when there has been a significant sentiment shift One glance at the Leading Indicator will give you the confirmation of knowing where the market is going compared to where it has been The Leading Indicator analyzes all of the symbols on your Map By looking at each cylinder it provides a view of current market sentiment in comparison to previous market sentiment Current Direction Previous Direction Figure 8 1 Leading Indicator Shows Market Direction The thin bar on the Leading Indicator refers to previous direction and the wider bar represents current direction The illustration shows that the current direction is strong to the upside
47. ed to have the correct group highlighted before adding the symbol From the Edit Map dialog box complete the following steps 1 Enter the name of the group or symbol you want to add into the Add Group or Add Symbol field You will see it added to the list below 3 Note If you are adding a symbol to the map first select a group from the left column If you do not select a group from the list OmniTrader will add the symbol to the highlighted group Nirvana Systems Inc 35 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps m Edit your list List Selection Add Group Country us Add Symbol o p List Nirvana5o0 A Index ep Advanced Medical Devices oP 4erospace Defense Pp Airlines T Alternate Energy lt r Auto Parts Add T Banking Savings and Loans oP Banks Regional m cP Beverages Brewers q Beverages Soft Drinks P Biotechnology Figure 4 3 Symbol Edit Window 2 You can customize groups you add by adding symbols to the group Ss Note A quick way to add one symbol to a Map is type it into the Quick Chart field at the top of your VisualTrader Map screen The chart will be immediately displayed for that symbol and a cylinder for that symbol will be added to your Map on the Miscellaneous plate If you do not already have a Miscellaneous plate on your Map one will be automatically created for you File Edit view Tools Help Trend with Changes in Trend RAWi B with BU
48. edit any of VisualTrader s Trading Strategy Flow Charts but you can only create a new Flow Chart if you have purchased the Strategy Builder plug in module The Block List on the far right of the Editing window will not be visible to users that do not have the Strategy Builder VisualTrader User Guide 90 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader a Editing T Trending ojx Confim Systems Performance Vote RWI B Rank by HR 60 Percent 0 Systems 2 Filters Market on Close Conflict lt 70 3 Stops Performance Vote Timeframes All C Custom TimeFrame 4 Zoom In Zoom Out Reports Saveas Cancel Figure 10 2 Flow Chart Navigating the Flow Chart The Flow Chart contains three main areas the Flow Chart window Flow Chart Controls and the Block List You can resize the Flow Chart horizontally and vertically as well as minimize and maximize it Use the following buttons to control the Flow Chart Zoom In Zoom Out Zooms in or out of the flow chart for better viewing e Reports Generates strategy reports directly from the Flow Chart e Save As Saves any changes to a strategy as a new strategy so you can retain the initial settings of the original strategy e Cancel Cancels all changes made to the strategy e OK Accepts all changes made ay Note If you make changes to a strategy you must run the To Do List for the results of your changes to be ref
49. eesessseeesssesresseresresesresreresresrsresrsrestenenesrsresresese 92 Configuring the Systems Block sssessssessssesseesserssesrsresrertsresrssesresrnreersrenrrees 92 Configuring the Performance Block ssssessesesserssessssrsesrsresresrsrstesrsresrssrerers 94 Configuring the Vote BlOcK 0 eee eseeeeesecneeeseeeeeeseceeeesesseseaeeaeenseeaeees 96 Configuring the Filter BlOCK 0 eee eee eeceeeeceeceseceeeeseeeeecseseseeseeeaeeseesseeaeees 98 Configuring the Confirm Block uci eceeeeceeseceeeseceeecaeensesseeeaeeeesseeaeees 100 Configuring the Orders BOCK ieee ecesesseesecseeeseesseeseceeceseseeeseeeeeaeeaeees 101 Entries Tab sic sirene stones tae hedeeten ied spies EN E A 101 Exits Vai tssssessttestestis tosses csauoctesi cs bbtas aa e etna 102 Re Entry Tabire seed aos cdeteti beads En EREE 104 Using Strategies to Find Candidates eee cece esecseceseesseeseceeeeseeseeeaecneeesesseseaeesees 105 Voting Multiple Strategies 0 eee cee seeeeeseceseeseeeseeaecneesseseeesaeeneeeaeeaees 105 Creating New Strategies 2 c ses ccetiiss pcenessesaeandaaagedcadcssscasaovandaeseapcasaceseycieees 109 Options Available Only with Strategy Builder ee 109 Importing amp Exporting Strategies eee eee ceeceseceeeeseeseeeseeseeeaeenseeaeeaes 110 Understanding the Voting Process 0 00 ee eeceseesceseeeseeseeseeeseeseeeaecascnseeseseaesaeenseeaeessens 110 Reading Vote Limes scscccccsssecssesiehusceseg ssa egeetesteves sveanteapaantateee
50. ems com Getting Started In this chapter you will learn how to install register and set up VisualTrader You will also learn about VisualTrader s analysis using the To Do List Installing VisualTrader Follow these instructions to install VisualTrader 1 Insert the VisualTrader CD into the CD ROM drive The installation should begin automatically If it does not click Start Run from the Windows Start menu Run fed Ea ja Type the name of a program Folder document or Internet resource and Windows will open it for you Open D Setup exe v Cancel Browse Figure 2 1 Run Dialog Box in Microsoft Windows 2 Type x setup exe where x is the CD ROM drive you are using in the command line box and click OK 3 Follow the instructions that appear in the installation wizard dialog boxes Nirvana Systems Inc 3 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 2 Getting Started Registering VisualTrader Before you can run VisualTrader you must register the software In order to register you will need your customer number and your CD Key which are supplied on the email that you received when you purchased VisualTrader Follow these instructions to register VisualTrader when you launch it for the first time 1 Double click on the VisualTrader icon on your desktop to launch the program or select Start gt Programs VisualTrader VisualTrader The VisualTrader Registration dialog box appears as shown
51. en we use VisualTrader we are not trading one or two charts We are using a dynamic map display to find Group Rotations Therefore in producing strategies for VisualTrader our goal was to generate a higher count of signals that provide additional confirmation for trading the Groups To achieve this confirmation we have defined three strategies that look for slightly different dynamics When all three are activated they produce a lot of signals The key in trading with this information is to watch the Map for multiple signals in the same direction on a Group and especially multiple NEW signals during a session Editing Trading Strategies from the To Do List To make changes to a Trading Strategy from the To Do List complete the following steps 1 Select Edit To Do List 2 Click on the Strategies tab VisualTrader displays a list of the current strategies VisualTrader places a checkmark to the left of each strategy selected to run in the current map 3 To edit a strategy highlight it and click on the Edit button or double click on the Strategy ay Note While VisualTrader 3 0 gives you the ability to edit strategies the impact of these edits can currently only be measured by viewing the signals generated It is recommended that strategy editing and creation be done in the OmniTrader program Once you have created or edited a strategy in Nirvana Systems Inc 89 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in
52. enu 6 Click Yes to confirm that you want to change all the symbols in the map to TC2000 data 7 Select TC2000 from the Data Source drop down menu 8 Click Save VisualTrader will begin collecting data to populate the Map After you set up your data source for the first time the data collection process will occur each time you launch VisualTrader The cylinders and plates will appear trans parent until VisualTrader has finished collecting data for that symbol 3 Note If you are using TC2000 for end of day data you will need to update your data via the TC2000 software before running VisualTrader Nirvana Systems Inc 9 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 2 Getting Started Keyboard Commands Project Commands Action Command New Map Ctrl N Open Map Ctrl O Save Map Ctrl S Edit Commands Action Command Edit Data Settings Ctrl D Edit Symbol List Ctrl E Edit Transform Ctrl T View Commands Action Command Toggle Charts On Off Space Bar View List Ctrl L Reset View Home Scroll Through Charts Page Up Page Down Navigation Commands Action Command Move Map Forward Up Arrow Move Map Back Down Arrow Move Map Left Left Arrow Move Map Right Right Arrow Zoom In Plus Zoom Out Minus Rotate Map Shift Plus Minus VisualTrader User Guide 10 nirvanasystems com Chapter2 Getting Started Runnin
53. er will exit the current system trade if a signal is fired in the opposite direction allowing the opposite signal to be generated Configuring the Performance Block Use the Performance block to set criteria that the trading systems must meet in order to be included in the signal generation process The Performance block includes two primary options Rank By and Filter By E 4 Performance v E v Figure 10 4 Performance Block VisualTrader User Guide 94 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader VisualTrader includes the following Performance block components e Rank By Specifies how VisualTrader ranks the systems You can rank systems by Hit Rate Annual Percentage Rate Profit per Trade or Net Profit e Filter By Filters a system out of the signal generation process if it does not meet specified criteria For example system RSI D may have a hit rate of 80 and an Annual Percentage Rate of 15 In the Performance block above VisualTrader would filter this system out of the signal generation process because its Annual Percentage Rate does not meet or exceed the minimum value After VisualTrader has ranked the systems and sent them through the initial filtering process you can specify how many of the systems VisualTrader will use for signal generation in the Maximum Number of Systems dialog box In this example the maximum number of systems is set to six so VisualTrader will only use the top six
54. es 5 Setting Up Other Easy Data Vendors 0 eee eeeeceseceeeeseeeeeeseeeeeeseeseeeaeens 6 Setting Up Your Data Source User Data eee eeeeeeseecesesseeeseeseceeeeaeenseeseseeeeaeenaes 7 Keyboard Commands seisine E A A Ea 10 Project COMMANAS sissies iia a a aiei 10 Edit Commands oisi aianei ene an A o A a kale eet ee eset 10 View Command aie scsssescsschsseceas petnaacaase casts cass esbeeneda a AE a e aaaea 10 Navigation Commands iisisti haear naenin i ain 10 Running VisualTrader s Analysis 0 ccesesscecesceeseeesececeesseceseeeneeceaeeeeeecsaeeeseeeneeeaees 11 To Do Last Actions Tab runsscnrsieunviariena a 12 To Do List Strategies TaD sn niinc eeni aaa 13 To Do List Test Settings Tab eseeeeeeeseeeesrssesesrerreserrestrreseesersrsersesresereeseee 14 Performing Real Time Analysis ccc ceeeceeseeeseeseceseeseeeseceeeneeseenaeseeeaee 16 Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Loading Maps Real Time Version 0 cceceseeceeseeseeeeceeeesecseeeseeeeesecseeesesaeenseeneenaes 18 Opening Mapsiisscvssticsschcciericshacs cates tates ves a a O eaa a E a A et aciecassestis 19 Understanding Cylinder Characteristics ssesssseeesseeesererereeeteresresrrerrrsestrsrsresresrsees 20 Viewing More Information in the Map essessessssssssssssssessrssrrssessrssressrssressessrssresersses 21 Navigating the Map m neironi e t aE EE EAE ENEA EN EEEE EA 21 Using the Keyboard to Navigate seeseesseeessseessereresresreresrsresresrne
55. eset View 10 Resetting Alerts 59 Reversal 87 Reversal in Trend 83 Reversal Measurements 87 Reverse Trades if Stopped Out 105 Reversing Signal 103 Rotate Map 10 24 Running the Playback 32 Running VisualTrader s Analysis 11 nirvanasystems com S Save Map 10 Saving Your Transform 86 Scrolling Through Charts 10 46 Second Opportunity List 30 Set Audible Alerts 63 Leading Indicator Alerts 78 Setting Up Your Data Source 5 7 Short term 86 Signal According to Advisor Rating 107 Signal according to Rank 97 Signal According to Strategy Rank 108 Signal generation 15 16 94 95 106 107 110 Signal Line must fire Long 97 Signal Line must fire Short 97 Sorting 27 29 Stop Market 103 Strategies 89 109 Applying 89 Below Vote Line 108 Building 109 Creating New 109 Editing 90 Exporting 110 Flow Chart 90 Importing 110 Ranking 108 Using 90 Using to Find Candidates 105 Voting Multiple 105 Strategies Below Vote Line Must Fire Long 108 Strategies Below Vote Line Must Fire Short 108 Strategy Builder 109 Strategy Selector 90 Strategy Voting 13 90 105 106 108 110 Performance Tab 106 Signal Generation Tab 107 Symbol amp Timeframe 93 99 109 Symbols Adding 53 Nirvana Systems Inc Index Charting 42 44 Systems 100 Systems Block 92 T Test Settings Tab 15 Timeframe Toolbar 49 To Do List 11 89 Actions Tab 12 Strategies Tab 13 Test Settings Tab 14 15 Toggle Charts On 10 Trading Strategy 89 Trailing Pivot
56. floor to the top of the Opportunity List B Body Color This column will sort the Opportunity List by the brightest body color e R Roof Color This column will sort the Opportunity List by the brightest roof color Nirvana Systems Inc 27 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps e S This column contains the signal for the corresponding symbol There are many different types of signals Refer to the table below for a complete description Signal Description A New long signal indicates that OmniTrader has found a new long opportunity Solid green triangle Yy New short signal indicates that OmniTrader has found a new short opportunity Solid red triangle A Reinforced long signal indicates that OmniTrader was already in trade and another system s generated a signal in the same direction Hollow green triangle Vv Reinforced short signal indicates that OmniTrader was already in trade and another system s generated a signal in the same direction Hollow red triangle t In long signal indicates that OmniTrader is currently in a long position Green arrow 4 In short signal indicates that OmniTrader is currently in a short position Red arrow m Exit signal indicates that the trade has been exited by OmniTrader Blue or black box Dash indicates that no signals were generated for the backtest period No signal indicates that OmniTrader is not currently in a trade
57. g VisualTrader s Analysis VisualTrader s first and most important goal is to automate the market analysis and the trading process as much as possible The primary feature for accomplishing this task is the To Do List The To Do List contains three tabs Actions Strategies and Test Settings To open the To Do List select Edit To Do List db To Do List Figure 2 7 VisualTrader To Do List Nirvana Systems Inc 11 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter2 Getting Started To Do List Actions Tab The Actions Tab tells you the status of your Real Time data feed If you feel that you are having issues with collecting Real Time data you can check the Actions Tab to see whether you are connected to the servers d To Do List Figure 2 8 To Do List Actions Tab VisualTrader User Guide 12 nirvanasystems com Chapter 2 Getting Started To Do List Strategies Tab Use the Strategies tab to manage the list of strategies and edit the parameters of each individual strategy ab To Do List EI Actions Strategies Test Settings Enabled Strategy o Timeframe GAP B with TY Filter ALL Riwl B with BULL BEAR Filter ALL VTY B with EMA filter Delete Strategy Voting New Edit Figure 2 9 To Do List Strategies Tab The Strategies tab contains the following options e Enabled A check in the box on the left identifies the strategies that are applied to any symbol in the list e Delete Select Delete to perm
58. g the Groups button will show only the industry groups in your Map Selecting the Symbols button will show only the securities in your Map Figure 3 11 Opportunity List In this picture we have selected the Both button which gives us a view of groups and symbols VisualTrader User Guide 26 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Viewing Opportunities Depending on how you choose to use VisualTrader you may want to turn off the Opportunity List from time to time To turn the list off click on View and select List Repeating this process will turn the list back on again You can also hold down the Ctrl key and press L to toggle the Opportunity List on and off Sorting Opportunities There are five columns in the Opportunity List which allow you to sort by different criteria By clicking on the name of a column VisualTrader will sort on that criterion For example if you click on the Above column the List will be sorted by the securities that are furthest above the Map floor We will discuss the significance of this later but for now we need to define each of the columns in the Opportunity List e Symbol This refers to the symbol of a stock It is an alphabetical sort and applies to groups as well e Below Clicking on this column will bring the cylinders that are furthest below the Map floor to the top of the Opportunity List e Above Sorting on this column will bring the symbols that are furthest above the Map
59. ge Percentage which volume has changed above or below a 26 Period Moving Average of volume Reversal Measurements The Reversal Measurements are based on the difference of two exponential moving averages similar to the MACD indicator When the plot of the difference of the moving averages crosses the zero line a potential reversal is indicated Nirvana Systems Inc 87 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Trend Change Measurements Trend Change Measurements are based on a moving average of the difference of two exponential moving averages similar to the MACD Histogram indicator When this moving average crosses the zero line a potential change in trend is indicated Trending Measurements Trending Measurements are also based on the difference of two exponential moving averages A trend is indicated by the position of the plotted difference of the moving averages in relation to the zero line If the difference is above the zero line an upward trend is indicated If the difference is below the zero line a downward trend is indicated VisualTrader User Guide 88 nirvanasystems com Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Trading Signals are new in VisualTrader 3 0 One might think we would be after the best signals i e those that are the most predictive While we do generally want trading signals to fire in a probable zone you have to realize that VisualTrader is a unique program Wh
60. ht Settings for Layout In our Layout we want the bottom left chart to show the industry group of the selected security To accomplish this we need to click the Group button to depress it and unlock the symbol lock bIoOtec Dag Ss UUP UA Brp n j DAY amp Biotechnology amp Group a Figure 7 7 Bottom Left Settings for Layout Nirvana Systems Inc 69 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter7 Chart Layouts For the final Pane we want this to always show the NASDAQ 100 index Daily chart Since that is already displayed and the settings are locked by default there is no need to change any of the settings Now that we have defined the settings of each Pane of our Layout it should look like the following picture a a Last 35 47 Tra DAY BGENS Last 35 47 Trad WK BGENS cE fa tose ato sth wilu hlinik heed PTAA svt Pi ovate tilt latina aunado ah on araba tli ca Last 2 DAY amp Biotechnology 3 Group jLast 1052 67 Ti DAY amp nDx amp 29 Group Chart Index Chart i fy 1052 67 i iw yl Figure 7 8 End of Day NASDAQ Layout We used BGEN to set up our Layout To illustrate the power of the Layout Feature we will click on another NASDAQ stock ADBE Now we see that we have the Daily Weekly and Group chart of this symbol and we still have the NASDAQ 100 chart as defined in our Layout VisualTrader User Guide 70 nirvanasystems com Chapter7 Chart Layouts a a Last 32 44 Tra DAY ADBES Last 32 4
61. ies in a particular industry group or a chart of the industry group itself CAKE CHEESECAKE FACT B KKD KRISPY KREME DOU IBS Last 43 40 Trade 15 4 Last 12 66 Trade 15 3 Iemoup as i S y PFCB P F CHANGS CHINA OB SBUX STARBUCKS CORF OR Last 48 49 Trade 15 4 M amp up Last 45 46 Trade 15 4 Memup Figure 5 1 View of Several Charts Nirvana Systems Inc 41 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts When you click on a cylinder plate or symbol in the Opportunity List it will replace any existing charts that are currently displayed However if you want to add charts to the display you can drag and drop them from the Opportunity List onto the display area This will automatically tile the charts instead of replacing them e To display the chart for a particular plate click on the plate for that particular group e To display all of the charts in a group hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click on the plate e To display the chart for a single symbol click on the cylinder for which you would like to see the chart You can remove charts by pressing the Space Bar on your keyboard This feature also gives you the ability to remove all displayed charts and then have them plotted again For example if you have four charts displayed and you wanted to remove all of them pressing the Space Bar will accomplish this If you press the Space Bar again the charts that were previously dis
62. ilter in that it serves to pass signals on the Signal Line However confirmers are based on signals as opposed to conditions For example you can confirm the raw signal generated by a strategy with a signal from a trading system that has been generated in the past x number of days This differs from a Filter in that a Filter opens up when a condition is met and will pass signals as long as the Filter s minimal criteria continues to be met I 4 Confirm M Confirmation Tolerance Minimum number of Signals a Any Before signal 1 bars CAN After signal 1 bars C AtLeast Optimi System Opti Min Max Incre Default ADX B Average Directional Movement BND C Trading Band Crossover BOL C Bollinger Band Crossover BOL T Bollinger Band w ADX Trend CCI C Commodity Channel Index Crossover Defaults CCI D Commodity Channel Index Divergence CCI FP Commodity Channel Index Fibonnaci P M Symbol amp Timeframe CCI P Commodity Channel Index Peaks P eunen CHA D Chaikin Level Divergence Symbol Timeframe pain E CHA P Chaikin Level Peaks IERA Optimization CN BH Candle Pattern Belt Hold P CN CA Candle Pattern Counter Attack Performance Metric N bars x CN DS Candle Pattern Doji Star aoea o N 5 CN EL Candle Pattern Engulfing Lines CN HAM Candle Pattern Harami E Optimize Using APR hai PRL Candle Datkars U aranan tH siminn hd man I Enable J Optimize Delete Duplicate Cancel ILa
63. in the voting process In the picture above the tolerance is set at5 This means that for each bar VisualTrader will look back 5 bars for any open trades generated by the strategy s Signal Lines However if a trade has stopped out in the tolerated range it is automatically removed from vote consideration e Voting Method Refers to how VisualTrader will use the strategy signals to generate Vote Line signals e Best Signal According to Advisor Rating Each signal that is generated by a strategy is associated with an Advisor Rating VisualTrader uses this method to Nirvana Systems Inc 107 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader allow all strategy signals to the Vote Line In the case where multiple signals fire the strategy with the highest Advisor Rating will be used for the voted signal This also means that the exits for that strategy are in effect for the Vote Line trade as well e Best Signal According to Strategy Rank This method is similar to the previous method but when multiple signals fire it uses the highest ranking strategy as defined in the Performance window e Majority of Longs or Shorts When multiple signals fire VisualTrader looks for a majority of signals in either direction to determine the type of trade to take long or short When VisualTrader uses this method it uses the highest ranking strategy s exit rules for the trade on the Vote Line e All Strategies Below
64. ion in the Map If you place your mouse cursor over a cylinder you will see a display that tells you the stock it represents You can place your mouse cursor over a plate to see which industry group it represents as well Group Gas Pipelines Symbol EP Name EL PASO CORP Price _ 18 15 5 47 srl Figure 3 5 Cylinder Display Popup Navigating the Map You can use your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard to move within the VisualTrader Map To move the Map left right forward or back with your mouse simply click on the Map floor and drag in the direction you want to move Figure 3 6 Move the Map Using Drag and Drop This example shows how we were able to move forward to an area of the Map by clicking and dragging the Map floor towards us Nirvana Systems Inc 21 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Using the Keyboard to Navigate You can move about the Maps in VisualTrader using the arrow keys on your keyboard You can move left right forward or back by pressing the corresponding key on your computer keyboard Figure 3 7 Move the Map Using Keyboard Arrows VisualTrader User Guide 22 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Zooming In and Out of a Map You can zoom in or out of the Map by using the plus or minus keys on your keyboard If your mouse has a scroll wheel you can use this to zoom in or out of a Map as well Figure 3 8 Zoom the Map Using Plus Ke
65. isor Rating 97 107 108 Alert Lists 60 Alerts Nirvana Systems Inc Managing 60 Resetting 59 All Strategies 90 105 108 Allow Long Short Signals When 98 Analysis Market 11 Performing in Real Time 16 Running 11 Applying Rule of Eights 62 Strategies in VisualTrader 89 Audible Alerts 63 Auto Sort 29 Automatically Sorting Opportunities 29 Average True Range 84 87 Average Volume 84 Backtest 15 28 97 Blocks Confirm 100 Editing 92 Filter 98 Orders 101 Performance 94 95 Systems 92 93 Vote 96 97 Break even Stop 104 VisualTrader User Guide Index C Change in Momentum 83 Change in Trend 83 Chart Area 46 Charts Converting 73 Groups 45 Symbols 42 44 View 46 Configuring Confirm Block 100 Filter Block 98 Orders Block 101 Performance Block 94 Systems Block 92 Vote Block 96 Confirm Block 100 Confirmation Tolerance 100 Conflict Resolution 97 108 Constant 87 Create Layout 66 Map 33 New Strategies 109 Transforms 85 Current Trend 82 Customizing Line Properties 57 Map Colors 37 Cylinder characteristics 20 Cylinder Display Popup 21 D Data account 6 Data Source 5 7 Default View 25 Delete Button 93 Deleting Renaming Layouts 73 Determining Market Strength 76 Do Not Re enter Trades 104 Duplicate Button 93 VisualTrader User Guide 112 E Easy Data 5 Edit Commands 10 Edit Data Settings 10 Edit Map dialog box 34 35 37 38 Edit Symbol List 10 Edit Transform 10 Editing Blocks 92 Leading I
66. its industry group and the rest of the market at a glance Seeing this information and being able to react to it quickly gives you the advantage every investor is looking for VisualTrader integrates Microsoft s Direct X graphics standard to create a three dimensional map like view of the movement in each security its industry group and the entire market all at the same time By rendering the market into a three dimensional world or Map you can easily see all of the market components as well as an overview of the market as a whole In VisualTrader Transforms are a patented technology that allows you to look at information in an abstract way VisualTrader uses Transforms to process data and render a picture of where the market is going Transforms use factors such as the volatility of a security the velocity and acceleration of price change and unusual volume to change the physical characteristics of a Map s components Ge Ty Fy isi j Sat ere AR a Ey m ina cer i FT r i ET at cots ts cat duh i rt lt 5 i iy te i Figure 1 2 S amp P 500 Map Whether you are an intraday trader end of day trader or long term investor the cutting edge technology of VisualTrader will allow you to make decisions quicker and more accurately than ever before For additional information on VisualTrader including tutorials support and our interactive user forum visit www VisualTrader com VisualTrader User Guide 2 nirvanasyst
67. lected in the reports Nirvana Systems Inc 91 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Editing Blocks in the Flow Chart While you can edit the existing blocks of a Flow Chart you can only add or remove blocks if you have installed the Strategy Builder For more information about Strategy Builder visit www omnitrader com and go to the Add Ons section To edit any of the components in a Flow Chart double click on the block or right click on a block and select Edit For example to change the parameters of a system in your strategy double click on the Trading Strategies block to make your changes Changes made to a Trading Strategy block are universal throughout the program for the edited strategy So if you are using a strategy in multiple profiles the changes made to the strategy in the current profile will be reflected in all the other profiles as well Configuring the Systems Block The Systems block performs a system test against the securities in a Focus List VisualTrader configures one or more systems inside a block VisualTrader tests the systems and uses the test results to generate signals When you highlight a system you see the system s parameters in the Parameters area You can edit the settings for any of the systems in this window When you edit a system the changes are applicable to that strategy across all VisualTrader profiles VisualTrader User Guide 92 nirvanasystems com
68. ll down the File menu select the Page Setup item and select Options from the last dialog box This icon denotes a tip which alerts you to advisory information This icon denotes a note which alerts you to important information Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software such as menu items and dialog box options Bold text also denotes parameter names Italic text denotes variables emphasis a cross reference or an introduction to a key concept This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value that you must supply Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the keyboard sections of code programming examples and syntax examples This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives paths directories programs subprograms subroutines device names functions operations variables filenames and extensions Contents Chapter 1 Introduction to VisualTrader About VisualTrader 06 ccseceesscccssccevscsasecucscedvccueccctdvcctecsctdvccesseccavcctavecteccceevscesvcevens 1 Chapter 2 Getting Started Installing Visual Traders vs csies cst sc ced aa ae Leh went estes eed besten eee ea 3 Registering Visual Prager seccina a AR E E ES 4 Setting Up Your Data Source Easy Data ssssessseessserssrsserserrsrtsreresresrsesrnsesresresese 5 Setting Up OmmiData csiec seks catesietasessdeesea nasa cgedessaaatsasccusesisnecaystsdiazstesie
69. n volume having target candidates in mind will make it much easier to assign Measurements to the cylinders characteristics Once you have created a Transform use the Playback Feature to see how it would have performed This will give you and indication of the effectiveness of your Transform and illustrate what changes you may want to make Editing Transforms Most VisualTrader users will use the Transforms provided by Nirvana Systems However if you want to edit one of the provided Transforms or create one of your own you can do so by clicking on Edit and selecting Transform The Transform dialog box shows the settings of the Transform currently in use This window allows you to change any of the Measurements for a cylinder s characteristics Nirvana Systems Inc 85 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities 2 Edit Transform Trend with Reversals xi Transform Trend with Reversals Height Team l Radius Volume Chane H Body Color Reversal 5 x Roof Color Reversal 5 7 IV Display transparent cylinders Delete Cancel Save As IE Figure 9 6 Trend with Reversals Transform Window Saving Your Transform If you make changes to a Transform or create one of your own you will be prompted to save it under a new name Type in a name for the Transform and click Save While you have the ability to make changes to any of the provided Transforms in VisualTrade
70. ndicator 78 Maps 34 Strategies 90 Trading Strategies 89 Transforms 85 Eighth s Levels 63 Eighth s Stop 103 Eighth s Tool 62 Enable 93 Entries Tab 101 Entry Filter Consensus 98 Exits Tab 102 Exporting Strategies 110 F Filter Block 98 Filter By 95 Finding Candidates 105 Fired Alert List 58 Fixed Loss Pivot Stop 104 Fixed Loss Stop 104 Fixed Profit Stop 103 Fixed Test Period 15 Floating Test Period 15 Flow Chart 90 91 92 Force 93 Forward Test 15 nirvanasystems com Index G M General Stops 103 Majority of Longs 97 108 Groups Majority of Shorts 97 108 Adding 35 Map Colors 37 Charting 45 Map Properties dialog box 37 Removing 37 Maps Renaming 38 Creating 33 Editing 34 Loading 18 l Opening 19 Importing Strategies 110 Rearranging 38 Inactivity Stop 103 Rotating 24 Indicator Alert 78 Symbols 35 Indicator Properties window 55 Market Above Range 102 Indicators Market analysis 11 Adding 55 Market Below Range 102 Plotting 72 Market on Close 101 103 Removing 56 Market on Open 101 103 Industry Group 46 Market Strength 76 Installing VisualTrader 3 Measurement Timeframes 86 Introduction to VisualTrader 1 Medium term 86 Minimum Number of Signals 100 Momentum 82 K Move Map Back 10 Keyboard Commands 10 Move Map Forward 10 Move Map Left 10 Move Map Right 10 L Moving Layout Average Stop 103 Creating 66 Map Using Keyboard Arrows 22 Deleting Renaming 73 Multiple Strategies 105 Populating 68 Leading Indica
71. p A trade exits when price retraces a certain distance from a gain side pivot point Trailing Pivot Point Stop A trade exits when price exceeds the latest pivot retracement pivot point Nirvana Systems Inc 103 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Two Moving Average Stop Exits when price penetrates the faster moving average and the slower moving average is the opposite direction of the trade e Protective Stops Use to limit losses in the event of a trade turning against you VisualTrader has the following Protective Stops Break even Stop Signals an exit when price crosses a pre determined threshold to gain side and then retraces to a break even level relative to the entry price Fixed Loss Pivot Stop Signals an exit when price moves to the loss side of the loss side pivot point formed before entry and exceeds a cushion Fixed Loss Stop Signals an exit when price moves to the loss side and reaches a pre determined level from the entry Re Entry Tab VisualTrader has the ability to re enter a trade if it has stopped out early You can specify whether the re entry signal is in the same direction as the previous trade or if it is in the opposite direction ab Orders Entries Exits Re Entry Execution Parameters C Do Not re enter trades Re Enter trades if stopped out Reverse trades if stopped out
72. p Auto Parts amp Equipment ap Banks Biotechnology sp Brewers amp P Building Products sp Casinos amp Gaming sp Commercial Printing lt Computer Hardware P Construction Materials sp Consumer Finance lt Department Stores P Distillers amp Vintners Tiviarnifind Find List Selection Add Group Data source Nir ana v Add Symbol Caine Set DataSource Nirvanas00 sP Apparel Accessories amp Luxury Goods ap Computer amp Electronics Retail sp Computer Storage amp Peripherals sP Construction amp Engineering sP Entertainment Construction amp Farm Machinery amp Hea P Food Producti lt Diversified Chemicals AMi ic UNITED STATES Advertising Companies oP Aerospace Defense P Airlines P Alternate Ener sp Auto Manufac sp Auto Parts g turers Banking Savings and Loans 1 oP Banks Money lt Banking Savings and Loans 2 Center sp Banks Regional 1 sp Automobile Manufacturers sp Banks Regional 2 P Biotechnology 1 P Biotechnology 2 Building Products sP Broadcasting amp Cable TY sp Casinos sp Chemical sp Computers Per rsonal sp Consumer Financial Services 4 Diversified Manufacturers Electrical Equipment lt r Footwear Electronic Manufacturing Services ion P Gold and Precious Metals Data Processing Services P Health Care Facilities r Health Care Providers oP Heavy Machinery sp Home Builders
73. played will reappear This feature gives you the ability to toggle the charts on and off your display screen as quickly as possible Charting Symbols Symbols are represented as cylinders in VisualTrader Clicking on a cylinder will immediately bring up a chart for the security it represents You can also chart a symbol by clicking on it in the Opportunity List You can remove a chart from your screen either by clicking on the X at the top right hand corner of the chart window or simply by pressing the Space Bar on your keyboard VisualTrader User Guide 42 nirvanasystems com Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Figure 5 2 Charting Symbols Example The chart for PNRA was brought up by placing the mouse over this stock s Cylinder and clicking once Another quick way to chart a symbol is to type it into the Quick Chart field and press Enter on your keyboard A chart is immediately displayed and the symbol is highlighted in the list If you do not already have that symbol in your current Map a cylinder will be added to the Miscellaneous Group plate Nirvana Systems Inc 43 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 5 VisualTrader Charts Charting Symbols from the List VisualTrader also gives you the ability to chart a symbol or group directly from the Opportunity List Simply click on the symbol or group in your list and a chart will appear You can also chart all of the symbols of a group in the List by holding down your Shift key
74. pplying specific Measurements such as acceleration and velocity to each of the cylinders geometrical characteristics In VisualTrader a Transform defines the visual change of the cylinders and plates by applying Measurements to their characteristics A Transform consists of various Measurements These Measurements are applied to a cylinder s characteristics For example the radius of a cylinder can represent a significant change in volume while a cylinder s height can represent an increase in the stocks acceleration You can see the settings from any of VisualTrader s Transforms by clicking on Edit and selecting Transform Nirvana Systems Inc 79 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities 2 Edit Transform Trend with Changes in Trend Trend with Changes in Trend Trend 5 v Acceleration Trend Change S vi Trend Change Figure 9 1 Trend with Changes in Trend Transform Settings By using different Measurements with different characteristics we are able to create Transforms that are designed to identify specific types of candidates A detailed list of the Measurements is provided later in this chapter VisualTrader User Guide 80 nirvanasystems com Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Transforms Available in VisualTrader Nirvana Systems provides you with six different Transforms Each one is designed for a specific purpose The following table
75. r we recommend that you always save your changes as a new Transform so that you retain the original Transform settings under the previous name Measurement Timeframes Long Medium and Short term are defined using moving averages of the following periods e Long term Uses 30 and 55 period moving averages e Medium term Uses 12 and 26 period moving averages e Short term Uses 8 and 15 period moving averages VisualTrader User Guide 86 nirvanasystems com Chapter 9 Transforming Market Data into Opportunities Measurements in VisualTrader The following Measurements are available in VisualTrader Acceleration The average change in Velocity over the previous 5 bars Constant No Measurement is applied Net Percent Bar Net percent change in the securities price relative to the previous bar Net Percent Session Net percent change in the securities price relative to the previous sessions close Reversal L Long term Reversal Reversal M Medium term Reversal Reversal S Short term Reversal Trend L Long term Trend Trend M Medium term Trend Trend S Short term Trend Trend Change L Long term Trend Change Trend Change M Medium term Trend Change Trend Change S Short term Trend Change Velocity tThe net change over the previous 5 bars Volatility The measure of movement outside a volatility band based on 2 0 times the Average True Range over 9 periods Volume Chan
76. resent Fibonacci Retracement levels Securities tend to retrace from these levels so watch them accordingly e In lower time timeframes such as 1 minute and 5 minute charts liquidity is important in order to be able to manage trades with this tool effectively Nirvana Systems Inc 61 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Applying the Rule of Eighths Tool The following steps outline the process of applying the Rule of Eighths Tool to your charts 1 When you enter a trade establish a range This will typically be the distance from the most recent relative high and relative low 2 Right click on the chart and select Draw Rule of Eighths Draw the tool across the range that you had previously established 3 As price moves past the next eighths level in your favor move your stop up to the prior eighths level For example as price penetrates the 5 8 level move your stop up to 4 8 4 Continue to move your stop in this manner until you are stopped out of the trade Price penetrates 5 8th level Stopped Out Figure 6 11 Rule of Eighths Tool Applied to MDT VisualTrader User Guide 62 nirvanasystems com Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Setting Audible Alerts for Eighth s Levels VisualTrader can alert you when an eighths level has been penetrated Select Draw Rule of Eighths with Alert from the Drawing Tools menu and VisualTrader will fire an alert once a stop level is penetrated
77. ry is taken after a Signal is posted based on specific conditions such as Market on Close Market on Open i e Open of the next bar etc ab Orders Entries Exits Re Entry Execution Market on Close current bar Market on Open next bar Market Above Below Range over N Bars Limit Above Below Range over N Bars Parameters Defaults M Type of Trades to enter C Longs Shorts Both Optimization Optimize Entries Using Figure 10 8 Orders Block Entries Tab The Entry Rules include e Market on Close Ensures that VisualTrader will enter the trade on the close price of the current bar e Market on Open Ensures that VisualTrader will wait to enter the trade on the open price of the next bar Nirvana Systems Inc 101 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader e Market Above Below Range Ensures that VisualTrader will wait to enter at a trade until price has exceeded a defined range Depending on how long it takes for the security to exceed the range you may see multiple dashes indicating that even though the signal has fired it still has not entered the trade e Limit Above Below Range Specifies that a signal passes only when price is higher in the case of a long signal or lower in the case of a short signal than the price range over the last N bars Exits Tab You can use three different
78. se options include e Symbol and Timeframe Confirmation The ability to have a signal confirmed with the signal from another symbol such as an index or against signals from a different timeframe e Optimization The ability to optimize the values of a filter or exit e Adding or Removing Blocks The ability to add or remove Strategy Blocks from a Flow Chart If you would like more information on the Strategy Builder please contact Nirvana Systems at 1 800 880 0338 Nirvana Systems Inc 109 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader Importing amp Exporting Strategies You can import any of your OmniTrader strategies version 2004 or later into VisualTrader by copying the ots file from your C Program Files Nirvana OT2004 Strategies folder to your C Program Files Nirvana Visual Trader 3 0 Strategies folder and vice versa This functionality will be particularly useful when creating or editing strategies in OmniTrader to be used in VisualTrader Understanding the Voting Process The Vote Line is the line directly below a VisualTrader chart Vote Lines can represent the signal generation results of one strategy or multiple strategies depending on which strategies you have selected from the Strategy menu The Vote Line represents the signals generated by all active strategies When multiple strategies are selected the Strategy Voting process dictates how the signals from the various Trading
79. seae 110 Introduction to VisualTrader Congratulations and thank you for choosing VisualTrader You have before you one of the most powerful tools for the technical analysis of securities markets available today VisualTrader is designed to give you a profitable view of the market so that you can make money by being in the right stocks at the right time With VisualTrader you can view a stock chart group chart or all of the stock charts in a group You will be able to spot and confirm profitable trading candidates and stay focused on the right charts at the right time to maximize your profit potential This help file is designed to get you started using VisualTrader by introducing you to the concepts and functionality available to you About VisualTrader There are a number of charting programs available on the market Most of these programs are adept at collecting information They focus on telling you where the market has been However the information that every investor needs to know is Where is the market going VisualTrader is designed with this question in mind Figure 1 1 View of the VisualTrader Map VisualTrader helps you identify profitable opportunities by letting you see momentum and changes in momentum between a large number of securities and Nirvana Systems Inc 1 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 1 Introduction to VisualTrader industry groups VisualTrader is designed to help you visualize a security
80. shows the Transforms a description and what cylinder characteristics you should look for Transform Name Description What to Look For Breakout with Reversals Looks for opening gap reversals or reversals on heavy volume Look for wide cylinders Green above the floor and red below the floor Trend with Reversals Finds candidates in the direction of the current trend or moderate short term reversals against the trend Look for green cylinders above the floor and red cylinders below the floor for trending candidates For reversals look for the opposite Trend with Changes in Trend Trend with Breakouts Used to find smooth trend changes This Transform is better for longer term trend change than the other reversal Transforms This Transform finds strong moves in the direction of the current trend as well as strong reversals Look for green cylinders below the floor and red cylinders above the floor Look for green cylinders above the floor and red cylinders below the floor Net Percent Session The cylinder height represents the change compared to yesterday s close while the shadow helps locate reversals Look for tall cylinders that are shrinking for good short term reversal candidates Volatility Breakout Designed to find candidates that are breaking out of a consolidation or reversing sharply Big green cylinders above the floor and big red cylin
81. srnresrerrsrestse 22 Zooming In and Out of a Mapu eee cece ceeceeceecesesseeeseeseeeseesseeaseeeeaeeaes 23 Rotating the Maps renier te stadeouter eaters ts RE E R N 24 Returning to the Default View o oo ceeeeeseceseeeeeeeaeceeeeaeeeeeeaeseeeaee 25 Nirvana Systems Inc v VisualTrader User Guide Contents Viewing amp Sorting Opportunities eee eee eeeeeseeseceeeeaeeeeeeaeceeeeaeseeesaesesetseeseeeaees 26 Viewing OppOrtuni thes sas scsi scssecescascecvieasavsstaves Sobsetes cgdesescddes duscuveseg cabessddes sev 27 Sorting Opportunities ioina nee EER ca tenes cutee E uuevsenenees 27 Automatically Sorting Opportunities 0 ee eee eseceeeseeeeeseeeeeeeseetaetsees 29 Viewing a Second Opportunity List ee eeeesecseceeeseeeseeeecesesseeeaetsees 30 Viewing Momentum Shifts with the Playback Feature eee eee eeeeeseeeeeseeeees 31 Activating the Playback Feature ccc eee eseeeeseseeceseeseeesecseeesecseeeseeaeenaes 32 Running the Playback secssc ccsssucceiesscsesesdeaseseecenes scene cousagsebedeed aa 32 Chapter 4 Creating amp Customizing Maps Creating a Map artieria roie ia EE A dd attecivee Seeding AE E RNE 33 Editing MaS A A A AA N 34 Adding Groups or Symbols to a Map ssssssessssesssesrsersseerssrsreresrerrsresresrsresrseese 35 Creating and Adding New Groups or Symbols ssssssessseesseresesreresrssesrrsresesee 35 Removing Groups and Symbols ssssssssesessssesseersresesrrssrsrsestrresrertnesresrsrrsrsest
82. ssociated with the alert and move it slightly Once you release your mouse button the alert will be reset To illustrate this process we have reset the alert for NXTL from the previous example Notice how the symbol has moved back to the Active Alerts List from the Fired Alerts List Figure 6 8 Adjusting the Alert Line Resets the Alert for NXTL Nirvana Systems Inc 59 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Managing Alerts Right clicking in either of the Alert Lists or Watch List will allow you to delete one or all symbols from these lists Figure 6 9 Alerts Right click Menu VisualTrader User Guide 60 nirvanasystems com Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Rule of Eighths The Rule of Eighths Tool is designed to assist you with trade management It is based on a technique used by the famous analyst W D Gann Gann recognized that markets tend to react at certain levels These levels are based on the most recent significant highs and lows Figure 6 10 Eighth s Tool plotted on a Chart for GD The concept behind the Eighths Tool is simple If you can take a move or trend on a chart and divide it into eighths you are going to see the market react to these lines Here are a few ideas to help you apply the Eighths Tool to your trading e Volatile stocks do not work as well using this type of trade management as well behaved stocks e 3 8 4 8 and 5 8 levels rep
83. sualTrader User Guide Chapter 8 Determining Market Direction Setting Leading Indicator Alerts VisualTrader has the ability to alert you when the Leading Indicator has reached a certain threshold Once this threshold has been reached an audible alert will sound and a flashing OK button appears Figure 8 4 Leading Indicator Alert By clicking on OK the alert will reset You may also turn off the audio notification by clicking on the speaker button Editing the Leading Indicator You can edit the Measurement used by the Leading Indicator as well as the properties of the alert function Click on Edit and select Leading Indicator This window allows you to change the Measurement used the degree of separation required for the alert to fire and the audio files used for the alerts VisualTrader User Guide 78 nirvanasystems com Transforming Market Data into Opportunities VisualTrader s approach to market visualization is not the only feature that is revolutionary in the software While other programs will display price and volume information with traditional quotes and charts VisualTrader uses a patented technology called Transforms to process the same information Charts give us an accurate representation of past behavior However the true advantage that every trader is looking for is an indication of future direction Transforms give us a better indication of trend and momentum than more traditional methods by a
84. t is removed from all charts The exception to this rule would be if you are in a Layout window The Help menu contains a list and brief description of all of the indicators available in VisualTrader If you are not familiar with an indicator listed please refer to the Help menu Adding Line Studies in VisualTrader The Chart Tools menu gives you the ability to draw line studies on your VisualTrader charts You can draw Trendlines Support and Resistance Lines and the Rule of Eighth s Lines It is important to remember that all line studies in VisualTrader are exclusive to the time frame that they were drawn in For instance if you draw a trendline on a 5 minute chart of DELL you will not see that line in the 15 minute chart Removing Lines from Your Charts To remove a line or all lines from a chart right click on the chart and select either Delete or Delete All VisualTrader User Guide 56 nirvanasystems com Chapter 6 Charting Tools amp Alerts Customizing Line Properties You can change the appearance of the line studies in VisualTrader Double click on the line that you want to modify and the Line Properties dialog box will appear Trendline Settings x m Line Properties chance Color Cancel Width f I Alert Line cma Set s Default SS Figure 6 6 Line Properties Dialog Box This menu also allows you to set your changes to the default properties of that particular line study For
85. ta set on which to train the Trading Strategies For example you can choose to have the strategies train over data from 1 1 2000 to 1 1 2003 VisualTrader will then apply the results of this training throughout all data after the end of the Fixed Test Period e Profit Calculation In order to realistically recreate the effect of trading VisualTrader must account for factors such as slippage and commission costs Use the Profit Calculation section to specify the amount of slippage and commission chart for each trade You can calculate these costs as Dollars Share or a Percentage of the trade value VisualTrader then applies these costs to the Nirvana Systems Inc 15 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 2 Getting Started gain or loss of each trade on the Vote Line in order to more accurately reflect a true trading scenario Performing Real Time Analysis In Real Time Profiles the data collection portfolio updates and testing run continuously Due to the dynamic updating in Real Time it is not necessary to run the To Do List functions in the Actions tab However the settings in the Strategies and Test Setting tabs still apply to Real Time Profiles This would include the strategies you are testing the length of the test period profit calculations and other factors When VisualTrader loads a Real Time Profile the Real Time Process runs one time through all the symbols in the Focus List As it reaches each one it contacts the data provi
86. tem through the filtering process so that it will be considered during the voting process Optimize Optimizes the selected system based on the settings in the Parameters area Delete Button Deletes the selected system Duplicate Button Duplicates the selected system Parameters Each system has a set of optimizable parameters displayed in the Parameters Area of the Systems block Select a parameter to optimize and specify the default value as well as the values that the program will optimize between for this parameter Press the Defaults button to return the parameters to their default values Symbol and Timeframe By default VisualTrader applies the systems and settings in the Systems block to all of the symbols in your Focus List However you can select a particular symbol to apply the block to a different timeframe for all of the symbols or a different symbol and timeframe Optimization The Optimization Area defines which exits VisualTrader uses to optimize the system parameters The two options are Next Pivot Point short VisualTrader User Guide Chapter10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader medium or long term or N bars which automatically exit a system trade after the number of specified bars The chosen method will dictate how your systems exit trade but you can also select the system to exit if it fires a signal in the opposite direction of the current trade By checking Use Reversing Signals VisualTrad
87. terquote had a 500 symbol limitation 5 Click OK to accept the data settings information VisualTrader will begin collecting data to populate the Map After you set up your data source for the first time the data collection process will occur each time you launch VisualTrader The cylinders and plates will appear transparent until VisualTrader has finished collecting data for that symbol VisualTrader User Guide 6 nirvanasystems com Chapter 2 Getting Started Setting Up Your Data Source User Data Follow these instructions to set up your data source for TC2000 User Data 1 Ifthe Data Settings dialog box is not already displayed select Edit Data Settings 2 Select User Data from the Datafeed drop down menu If you are using TC2000 to collect data for VisualTrader you will not need to enter a username or password 4 Data Settings xi Figure 2 2 Data Settings Dialog Box 3 Click OK to accept the data settings information 4 Select Edit Symbol List to open the Edit Map dialog box so that you can complete the data source setup Nirvana Systems Inc 7 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter2 Getting Started Edit Map unen states E fh dh of db dh dh dh dh dh dh d Ju db dh Figure 2 6 Edit Map Dialog Box VisualTrader User Guide nirvanasystems com Chapter 2 Getting Started 5 Click the Set Data Source button and select TC2000 from the context m
88. ting Multiple Strategies When testing multiple strategies against a security you have various options available on how the signals from individual strategies are processed For example you can specify that the best strategy s signal pass to the vote line or you can use a voting process across the signals from all strategies You can control these options in the Strategy Voting window To access the Strategy Voting window 1 Click on Edit To Do List 2 Select the Strategies tab in the To Do List 3 Click the Strategy Voting button at the bottom of the Strategies tab There are two tabs in the Strategy Voting dialog box The Performance tab controls the ranking of the strategies and specifies whether they will be filtered from consideration in the voting process Nirvana Systems Inc 105 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader ab All Strategy Yoting Figure 10 11 Strategy Voting Performance Tab The second tab Signal Generation dictates which method of Vote Line signal generation to use and contains rules on how to handle conflicting signals VisualTrader User Guide 106 nirvanasystems com Chapter10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader ab All Strategy Yoting Figure 10 12 Strategy Voting Signal Generation Tab The Signal Generation tab includes the following settings Voting Tolerance Refers to the number of bars in which VisualTrader will look back to consider a signal
89. tor 78 Leading Indicator Alert 78 Limit Above Range 102 Limit Below Range 102 Line Properties 57 Line Properties dialog box 57 Line Studies 56 Loading Maps 18 Locking Unlocking Layout Settings 69 Long term 86 Nirvana Systems Inc 113 VisualTrader User Guide Index N Navigating Flow Chart 22 91 Navigation Commands 10 N Bar 103 Net Percent Bar 87 Net Percent Session 87 Net Percent Gain 84 Net Percent Loss 84 New Layout dialog box 66 New Map 10 New Map dialog box 33 New Strategies 109 Next Pivot Point Stop 103 Number of Signals 100 0 Open Map 10 Map dialog box 19 Maps 19 To Do List 11 Opening the To Do List 11 Opportunities 26 27 29 Opportunity List 29 30 44 sorting 29 Optimization 93 101 109 Optimize on 15 Orders Block 101 P Parameters 93 98 100 Performance Block 94 Performing Real Time Analysis 16 Play button 32 Playback Feature 32 Playback Start Flag 32 Plotting Indicators 72 Populating a Layout Page 68 Profit Calculation 15 Profit Pivot Point Stop 103 VisualTrader User Guide 114 Project Commands 10 Protective Stops 104 Q Quick Chart Box 44 R Rank 97 Rank By 95 Reading Vote Lines 110 Real Time 12 16 54 Real Time Version 18 Rearranging Maps 38 Re enter Trades if Stopped Out 104 Re Entry Tab 104 Registering VisualTrader 4 Reloading Data 54 Remove button 37 Removing Groups 37 Indicators 56 Lines 56 Rename Group dialog box 38 Renaming 38 Reports 91 R
90. types of exit executions in your strategies Market on Close exits the trade at the close price of the bar in which the exit is triggered Market on Open exits the trade at the open price of the following bar and Stop Market exits the trade at the market price once the exit is triggered a Orders Entries Exits Re Entry Execution Market on Close current bar C Market on Open next bar C Stop Market Parameters Parameter Threshold Stop Level ATR Periods Time Limit lt I KI lt i High Low prices C Close prices Units ATR v Defaults Optimi Stop Break even stop Eights Stop Fixed Loss Pivot Point Fixed Loss Stop Fixed Profit Stop Inactivity Moving Average Crossover Stop N Bar Next Pivot Point Profit Pivot Point Reversing Signals Trailing Pivot Point Trailing Profit Stop Two Moving Average Stop M Stop Description Signals an exit when price moves to the gain side a specified threshold and then retraces to a specified stop level relative to the entry price T g a M Optimization Optimize Stops Using Figure 10 9 Orders Block Exits Tab VisualTrader User Guide 102 nirvanasystems com Chapter 10 Applying Strategies in VisualTrader The Exit Rules include e Market on Close Exits the trade at the close price of the current bar e Market on Open Exits a trade on the following b
91. urpose it allows us to see a chart or group of charts quickly However you may want to have a page that has predetermined charts settings indicators and line studies Layouts allow you to create custom chart pages that can serve a variety of purposes Creating a Layout Page To create a Layout page right click on the Charts Form in the bottom right of your VisualTrader screen and select Add Layout You will see the New Layout dialog box Charts Figure 7 2 New Layout Dialog Box VisualTrader User Guide 66 nirvanasystems com Chapter 7 Chart Layouts The display on the screen now has four boxes These boxes are referred to as Panes and they serve as placeholders for charts You can have as many or as few Panes in your Layout as you want To create additional Panes click on the outer edge of an existing Pane and holding your mouse button down drag away from the edge You will see a new Pane appear almost immediately You can also reduce the number of Panes by dragging the inner border of a Pane towards an outer edge Figure 7 3 Initial Layout Screen with Four Panes Nirvana Systems Inc 67 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter7 Chart Layouts Populating a Layout When adding charts to your VisualTrader Layout it is important to remember that clicking on a symbol in the List will replace charts while dragging and dropping symbols will add charts To populate a Layout Page drag and drop the symbol into the Pane you desire
92. y Nirvana Systems Inc 23 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Rotating the Map You can rotate VisualTrader Maps by right clicking on the floor holding the mouse button down and then dragging in the direction you wish to rotate You can also use the keyboard to rotate your view by holding the Shift key down and then pressing the plus or minus keys on your keyboard Figure 3 9 Rotate the Map Using Mouse or Keyboard Sy Note You can also double click on the Map floor to have the Map automatically rotate 180 degrees VisualTrader User Guide 24 nirvanasystems com Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Returning to the Default View As you navigate through a VisualTrader Map there will be times when you want to return to the default view as quickly as possible This can be done pressing the Home or F2 keys on your keyboard You can also select Tools Reset View from the VisualTrader menu o EEE Figure 3 10 Default View Nirvana Systems Inc 25 VisualTrader User Guide Chapter 3 VisualTrader Maps Viewing amp Sorting Opportunities VisualTrader provides you with a method to see the activity of hundreds of stocks at the same time Yet with so many stocks to look at there will be times when you want the best opportunities brought to your attention This is the purpose of the Opportunity List The Opportunity List gives you the ability to view securities groups or both in a sortable manner Selectin

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