Understanding MTF bars, bar closure times, etc.

July 7th, 2016, 12:55 AM

Jayswiss

Ah I see. I am actually running a drawing rectangles with start 0 end 30 in(to draw a 30 minute long rectangle). But in the case mentioned above, it winds up overlapping in some of those spots where the is no data.. Using your code and start 0 end 1 bars, it seems to draw them correctly now. I just need to figure out how to draw until the next bar instead of fixed 30 mins.

What do you mean draw until the next bar? You mean you want a rectangle that goes the length of the 30 mins? Generally speaking, the rectangle shape is usually used in the price bar area but I suppose you could use it below, although I've never tried that. You may be better off, however, drawing a square, as I did, every minute. In other words, at the end of every minute, you check your higher timeframe condition and draw a colored square based on whether it is true or false. That way it will look exactly how it looks in the example you gave above.

July 7th, 2016, 01:21 AM

For example, let's use an easy sample condition. If the close of the thirty minute bar is greater then the close of the previous thirty minute bar, the square is green; if it less, the square will be red.

Here's the code:

Code

Using declarations


namespace NinjaTrader.Indicator
{
    
    
    public class test : Indicator
    {
        
	#region Variables
		
		private bool thirty;
			
	#endregion
		
		
	protected override void Initialize()
        {
            Overlay			= false;
	    DrawOnPricePanel	= false;
			
	    Add(PeriodType.Minute, 30);
	    BarsRequired = 1;
        }

        
        protected override void OnBarUpdate()
        {
            if (CurrentBars[0] < BarsRequired || CurrentBars[1] < BarsRequired) return;
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 1)
			{
				if (Closes[1][0] > Closes[1][1])
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Green);
				thirty = true;	
				}
				
				if (Closes[1][0] < Closes[1][1])
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Red);
				thirty = false;	
				}	
			}
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 0)
			{
				if (thirty == true)
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Green);
				}
			
				if (thirty == false)
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Red);
				}	
			
			}
          
        }
    }
}

This is what it looks like:

July 7th, 2016, 01:24 AM

srgtroy

For example, let's use an easy sample condition. If the close of the thirty minute bar is greater then the close of the previous thirty minute bar, the square is green; if it less, the square will be red.

Here's the code:

Code

Using declarations


namespace NinjaTrader.Indicator
{
    
    
    public class test : Indicator
    {
        
		#region Variables
		
			private bool thirty;
			
		#endregion
		
		
		protected override void Initialize()
        {
                        Overlay			= false;
			DrawOnPricePanel	= false;
			
			Add(PeriodType.Minute, 30);
			BarsRequired = 1;
        }

        
        protected override void OnBarUpdate()
        {
            if (CurrentBars[0] < BarsRequired || CurrentBars[1] < BarsRequired) return;
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 1)
			{
				if (Closes[1][0] > Closes[1][1])
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Green);
				thirty = true;	
				}
				
				if (Closes[1][0] < Closes[1][1])
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Red);
				thirty = false;	
				}	
			}
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 0)
			{
				if (thirty == true)
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Green);
				}
			
				if (thirty == false)
				{
				DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], false, 0, 1, Color.Red);
				}	
			
			}
          
        }
    }
}

This is what it looks like:

Ah..perfect! That's a great starting point for me and I can now see a couple things I was doing wrong (I'm still just a few days in to learning Ninjascript). Thanks so much for the assistance.

July 7th, 2016, 01:37 AM

Jayswiss

Ah..perfect! That's a great starting point for me and I can now see a couple things I was doing wrong (I'm still just a few days in to learning Ninjascript). Thanks so much for the assistance.

You are welcome. However, there is still one problem with the code as it currently stands. Instead of plotting this line at the value of "1". You will probably want to plot it at the value of "30". That way you can have a line for "1", "5", "15", "30", etc...I can show you how to do that or you can try yourself, your choice.

July 7th, 2016, 01:40 AM

srgtroy

You are welcome. However, there is still one problem with the code as it currently stands. Instead of plotting this line at the value of "1". You will probably want to plot it at the value of "30". That way you can have a line for "1", "5", "15", "30", etc...I can show you how to do that or you can try yourself, your choice.

Oh I would appreciate any tips or assistance you can provide on this topic. I did notice your boxes are "1" , I would try to do 0-1, 0-5, 0-15, 0-30, etc. as appropriate if that's what you mean

July 7th, 2016, 02:10 AM

Jayswiss

Oh I would appreciate any tips or assistance you can provide on this topic. I did notice your boxes are "1" , I would try to do 0-1, 0-5, 0-15, 0-30, etc. as appropriate if that's what you mean

The proper parameters for the DrawSquare method should be:

Code

DrawSquare("a1" + CurrentBars[0], true, 0, 30, Color.xxx);

So autoscale gets changed to "true" and the y value gets set to 30 (or whatever higher timeframe you are referring to).

July 7th, 2016, 02:10 AM

srgtroy

You are welcome. However, there is still one problem with the code as it currently stands. Instead of plotting this line at the value of "1". You will probably want to plot it at the value of "30". That way you can have a line for "1", "5", "15", "30", etc...I can show you how to do that or you can try yourself, your choice.

Hmm yeah now that I start working with it, it's a bit confusing as to how I would also show the primary series on another row (at bottom) with the 30 min tf in this case.

July 7th, 2016, 02:25 AM

Actually, this code is better. I've included a 5 minute line and a 30 minute line plus made it more efficient:

Code

Using declarations

namespace NinjaTrader.Indicator
{
    
    [Description("Enter the description of your new custom indicator here")]
    public class test : Indicator
    {
        
		#region Variables
		
			private bool five;
			private bool thirty;
			
		#endregion
		
		
		protected override void Initialize()
        {
            Overlay				= false;
			DrawOnPricePanel	= false;
			
			Add(PeriodType.Minute, 5);
			Add(PeriodType.Minute, 30);
			BarsRequired = 1;
        }

        
        protected override void OnBarUpdate()
        {
            if (CurrentBars[0] < BarsRequired || CurrentBars[1] < BarsRequired || CurrentBars[2] < BarsRequired) return;
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 2)
			{
				if (Closes[2][0] > Closes[2][1])
				{
					thirty = true;	
				}											///Thirty Minute Conditions
				
				if (Closes[2][0] < Closes[2][1])
				{
					thirty = false;	
				}	
			
			}
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 1)
			{
				if (Closes[1][0] > Closes[1][1])
				{
					five = true;	
				}
															///Five Minute Conditions
				if (Closes[1][0] < Closes[1][1])
				{
					five = false;	
				}	
				
				
			}
			
			if (BarsInProgress == 0)
			{
				if (five == true)
				{
				DrawSquare("five" + CurrentBars[0], true, 0, 5, Color.Green);
				}
			
				if (five == false)
				{
				DrawSquare("five" + CurrentBars[0], true, 0, 5, Color.Red);
				}																				///One Minute Drawings
				
				if (thirty == true)
				{
				DrawSquare("thirty" + CurrentBars[0], true, 0, 30, Color.Green);
				}
			
				if (thirty == false)
				{
				DrawSquare("thirty" + CurrentBars[0], true, 0, 30, Color.Red);
				}	
			
			}
          
        }
    }
}

Ok, play with it. Gotta run...

July 8th, 2016, 01:29 AM

Great! I've been expanding on it a bit and it's coming together nicely. Thank you.

Is it possible somehow to overlay a dot/circle on top of the square for the actual timeframe bar? If not, I suppose I could use a circle only (red or green) for the bar that indicates the actual close of the specific timeframes bar. For example on a 5 minute it might look like...

■■■■●■■■■●■■■■●■■■■●■■■■●■■■■

Understanding MTF bars, bar closure times, etc.

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Understanding MTF bars, bar closure times, etc.