VisualTrader Tutorials | Nirvana Systems Inc.

VT Tutorials

The VisualTrader platform delivers quality trade ideas every day, in any market conditions

Quick Start Tutorials

VisualTrader Tutorials

  • The Map

  • The List

  • Signals

  • Charts

  • Chart Patterns

  • Alerts

  • Trading Tools

  • Simulation

Quick Start Tutorials

  • The Map

The Map

Learn how to configure the Map to show the information you want to display.

  • Opening Maps

  • Cylinder Characteristics

  • Viewing More Information

  • Map Navigation

  • Map Zooming

  • Map Rotation

  • Map Resetting

  • Creating a Map

  • Map Editing

  • Creating and Adding new Groups or Symbols

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 VisualTrader Map (.vtp) files. The pre-designed Maps are located in the VisualTrader\Profiles subdirectory.

Open Map Dialog Box

2. Select the Map you would like to open and click Open. VisualTrader displays and populates the selected Map.

  • The List

The List

Learn how to use VisualTrader's List to find the hottest condidates.

  • Opportunity List

  • Viewing Opportunities

  • Viewing a Second Opportunity List

  • Sorting Opportunities

  • Visual Statistics

  • Database Statistics

  • Profile Statistics

  • Intraday Statistics

  • Timeframes Column

Opportunity List

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.

Selecting the Groups button will show only the industry groups in your Map. Selecting the Symbols button will show only the securities in your Map.

Opportunity List

In this illustration, the Both button is selected, which gives a view of groups and symbols. From the Opportunity List, you can select the securities that are displayed as charts in VisualTrader.

Note: You can change the width of the Opportunity List by dragging the window to the desired size.

  • Signals

Signals

Use VT's advanced Trading Signals to pinpoint prime movers.

  • Running VisualTrader's Analysis

  • VisualTrader Strategies

  • Performing Real Time Analysis

  • Performing End Of Day Analysis

Running VisualTrader's Analysis

VisualTrader’s first and most important goal is to automate the market analysis and trading process as much as possible. You can set which strategies and test settings VisualTrader will use in your charts from the Strategies and Test Settings tabs on the Edit Strategy Settings dialog box. To open the this dialog box, select Edit » Strategies.

VisualTrader Edit Strategy Settings Dialog Box

The Opportunity List is the window of information that shows the results of VisualTrader’s analysis for each symbol in your profile. Each time you make a change to the settings in the Edit Strategy Settings dialog box or when you update data, VisualTrader will perform the necessary analysis for your changes and display the results in the Opportunity List.

VisualTrader also displays the following indicators in the status bar at the bottom of your screen to give you statistics on VisualTrader’s analysis.

• A — Specifies the percentage of all analysis VisualTrader has completed on the collected data.

• S — Specifies the average time in milliseconds that it has taken VisualTrader to generate signals for each symbol.

• P — Specifies the average time in milliseconds that it has taken VisualTrader to complete pattern analysis on each symbol.

• Q — Specifies the number of symbols VisualTrader has yet to analyze.

VisualTrader Analysis Status Bar

  • Charts

Charts

VT includes a wide selection of chart tools. Learn how to use them in this tutorial.

  • Charting Symbols

  • Charting Groups

  • Charting all Symbols in a Group

  • Plotting Charts on Multiple Monitors

  • Chart Options Chart Tab

  • Changing Chart Colors

  • Plotting Indicators

  • Plotting Trading Systems

  • Displaying Statistics

  • Adding Line Studies

  • Editing the Properties of a Selected Drawing Tool

  • Creating a Chart Layout

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 on your keyboard.

Charting Symbols Example

The chart for FWRD 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 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.

  • Chart Patterns

Chart Patterns

Learn how to use VT's advanced Chart Pattern Recognition to identify prime pattern setups.

  • Viewing Patterns in the Chart

  • Editing Pattern Settings

Viewing Patterns In The Chart

To activate the Patterns feature, select View » Patterns Feature or use the Docking Toolbar at the bottom of the window in VisualTrader. The Patterns button allows you to add chart pattern confirmation to your trading. Chart patterns help you determine whether or not a confirming pattern occurs with a given signal in the Opportunity List.

Use the buttons 1 - 5 to set the strength of the patterns you would like displayed on the chart. Selecting 1 will allow all the patterns found to be displayed in the chart. Setting the strength to 5 will only allow the best patterns found to be displayed. The Off button will remove all patterns from the chart.

Patterns Feature

You can also access the Patterns feature by selecting Edit » Patterns in VisualTrader.

  • Alerts

Alerts

Learn how VT brings the trades to you using Signal, Pattern, and Indicator Alerts.

  • Signal Alerts

  • Signal Alert Options

  • Chart Tool Alerts

  • Fired Alerts

  • Resetting an Alert

  • Using the Position Summary Window

Signal Alerts

You can add alerts for symbols based on current signals or patterns from the chart using the Add Alert feature in VisualTrader.

Add Alert Dialog Box

To add a signal or pattern alert to a symbol in the Opportunity List, complete the following steps:

1. Click a symbol in the Opportunity List to open the chart.

2. Right-click in the chart and select Add Alert from the right-click menu. VisualTrader will display the Edit Alert dialog box.

3. Select the appropriate statistic from the Item drop-down menu.

4. Specify any changes you would like in the window. See next topic for option descriptions.

5. Click Save to enable the alert. The symbol will be added to the Active Alert List.

  • Trading Tools

Trading Tools

Learn how to place trades in the charts and how to use VT's advanced trading tools.

  • Entering a Position

  • Closing a Position

  • How Trade Plans Work

  • Activating Trade Plans

  • Trade Plan Template

  • Position Summary Window

  • Using the Position Summary Window

Entering A Position

You can place an order to buy or sell a security by dragging and dropping the Chevron on the right edge of the VisualTrader Chart. When you use the trading chevron to enter a position, the position is entered for the currently displayed security or the security that has focus, if there are multiple symbols plotted.

With the chart of the security displayed, drag the trading chevron into place on the chart.

Once you release the chevron, OmniTrader plots the stops that are defined for Step 1 of the Trade Plan, and the Trade Plan interface is displayed.

Trade Plan Setup for a Long Position

  • Simulation

Simulation

Learn the software in accelerated play before you take on the real market.

  • Running a Simulation

  • Trading in Simulation Mode

  • Simulation Mode Options

  • Activating the Playback Feature

  • Running the Playback Feature

  • Viewing Momentum Shifts

Running A Simulation

A Trading Simulation session can be run using any existing VisualTrader Map that has data collected. You should open the VisualTrader Map you would like to use for the Simulation and make sure the correct settings are enabled prior to running it. Simulation Mode is accessed from the Playback tool in VisualTrader.

Follow the instructions below to run a Simulation.

1. Open the VisualTrader Map you would like to use for the Simulation.

2. Set the Timeframe, Strategies and Patterns you will be using.

3. Click View » Playback Feature to bring the tool onto the Map.

4. Click the Simulator button found on the Playback tool.

Playback Tool

5. The Start Simulator Dialogue box will appear asking if you would like to Start a new Simulation Session or Continue an Existing Simulation Session. Make your selection and click OK.

Start Simulator Dialogue Box

6. The Simulator is loaded and is indicated by the data feed connection status turning red in the VisualTrader Map indicating that it is disconnected from the feed. The Simulator button will blink and the Brokerage Toolbar will change to read Simulation Mode.

The time frame that was selected when entering Simulation Mode will become the Primary Data Period and will remain highlighted until Simulation Mode has been exited. You may switch to other time frames while in a Simulation, but the advancing of data is disabled while viewing data periods other than the Primary Data Period. In order to access the Next, Pause, and Play buttons you will need to return to the Primary Data Period.

VisualTrader Map with Simulation Mode Active

7. Set the speed to Fast, Medium or High and position the Playback Start Flag on the slider bar.

8. Press Play to begin the Simulation and the start date will appear to the left of the Simulator button.

The Pause button will temporarily stop the simulation and the Next button can be used to advance the Map by one bar while paused. Pressing Play will resume the Simulation. Stop will end the Simulation and return the Map to the current date/time.

9. End the Simulation by clicking the Simulator button again. A prompt will appear asking you to confirm exiting the Simulator.

Simulation Exit Dialogue Box

>