Chart Periods and Types

In the ATAS platform, you can adjust chart periods and types. In addition to the standard time intervals available here, you can also specify other interval types with various settings. 

To select a timeframe or chart type, click on the icon on the chart panel in the upper left corner. In the pop-up menu, choose the desired period or chart type.

If you need to change the number of days for loading or the end date one time, uncheck Auto and specify the desired parameters.

To set the period or type of chart, use Configure.

You can configure the display of the chart and its types in the opened window.

Each kind of chart can be placed above or below using the Up and Down buttons (in the screenshot 1 and 2), and also customize it according to your requirements.

For example, to set 1M, select it from the left column, then click the button opposite the required period, in the right column, Edit (in the screenshot 3) or Add (in the screenshot 4).

You can make the following settings in the opened window.

Select a value from the drop-down list in the Timeframe line or Custom if you need to enter a value that is not in the list. Then enter the parameter you need in the line below the Custom Timeframe.

Label - the name of the graph that will be displayed in the table

Default loaded days count - the number of days that will be loaded

To apply the changes to all charts and save them, press the Apply button.

Types of timeframes/charts

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Types of timeframes/charts
  • Minute 
  • Seconds 
  • Tick 
  • Volume 
  • Delta 
  • Range 
  • Renko 
  • Reversal 
  • Order Flow 
  • Cumulative Trades 

Minute 

The bar is built according to the selected time period: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 4 hours, etc.

For example, if the value of 3 is selected, the new bar on the chart will be formed with 3-minute intervals.

Seconds 

It is similar to the Minute chart. The chart will be created according to the selected value.

If the value of 45 is selected, each bar will correspond to a period of 45 seconds.

Tick 

A tick chart is based on a certain number of ticks in a bar. If the value of 144 is selected, one bar will be formed after every 144 trades; these trades may include both small and large orders. Each trade will be counted only once regardless of its size.

This results in a chart where trades are evenly distributed across bars. This type of chart is particularly intriguing when paired with volume indicators for evaluating volume structure, identifying major player activity, and analyzing how price responds to such activity.

Volume 

A volume chart is based solely on the number of traded shares or futures contracts. For example, if we select the value of 500, this will mean that each new bar will be formed after 500 contracts have been traded. Unlike tick charts, here we can see a chart with a uniform distribution of the volume by bars, accordingly, we can get an idea of the current market liquidity based on the speed of construction of bars. More bars will be formed accordingly during high market activity periods and vice versa, which makes assessing the activity of the market easy. In addition, we can visually assess the intensity of the struggle between buyers and sellers since the volume of each bar has a constant value. For example, large directed bars indicate the absence of a resistance to such a movement, and vice versa.

When configuring the volume intervals, do not forget to relate them to the instrument's liquidity. A large volume for actively traded instruments can be higher than for non-liquid instruments.

Delta 

A delta-type chart means that each bar is formed if the difference between the volume of traded asks and bids corresponds to the selected value.

Range 

A classic range chart, the main task of which is to get rid of the so-called market noise, i.e. minor price fluctuations that have no value and only complicate the analysis of the trade situation. To form a range bar in this chart, the price has to go a given distance regardless of how long it will take.

(RangeX) (RangeXV) (RangeUS) (RangeZ) - these frame types represent different modifications of the classic range chart, but they are designed to address its various limitations. Basically, they differ from the classic range chart in their parameter configurations.

It is our company policy not to disclose the algorithms behind their construction as per our agreement with the author.

After monitoring their formation process for a short while, you will easily understand their distinction from others and their benefits!

These range charts are left in the public domain at the request of our customers and might be described in more detail in the future.

RangeUS is a special chart that filters out market noise, and candlesticks are built based on the distance traveled. This type of chart is not dependent on time or volume.

Here is an example of a RangeUS chart for the CL futures:

Principle of RangeUS candle construction:

The RangeUS chart consists of two types of candles:

1. Trend candles

2. Reversal candles

Three parameters are used for their construction:

1. Open Offset - a shift from the beginning of the session, from which the drawing of the first candlestick starts. The use of this parameter affects the chart as a whole, since it shifts rigid boundaries.

2. Tick Trend - is the distance at which a trend candle will be formed and closed. The distance is counted up or down.

3. Tick Reversal -  is the distance at which the reversal candle will be formed and closed. A mandatory condition for closing is that the price must move in the opposite direction of the previous candle.

The figure below (Fig.1) shows an example of building RangeUS with the following parameters: Tick Trend - 10 and Tick Reversal - 5, for futures 6E.

Fig.1:

A trend candle measuring 10 price points is located between markers 1 and 2 in the figure. At point 1, an opening occurred, at point 2 - closing. Short candles with shadows are Tick Reversal, i.e. reversal candles.

On the charts of RangeUS (as well as on the classic Japanese candlestick charts) candles may have shadows, but they are always directed against the candle itself. In other words, the shadow on a descending red candle can only occur at the top, while on an ascending green one, it can only be at the bottom, and no other way around. This rule applies only to formed candles. If the closing has not happened yet, the shadows can be in any direction.

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Fig 2:

In the figure above (Fig. 2), there is a reversal candle between markers 1 and 2, with a size of 5 ticks. The opening occurred at point 2, and the closing at point 1, but the price moved until point 3, which resulted in the formation of a long shadow.

A reversal candle formed as a rising one. This means that the price has passed 5 ticks in the opposite direction from the closing of the previous trend candle. Despite the fact that the candle in this example has a long shadow at the bottom, the price did not overcome the 10-tick mark and returned higher. Reversal candles are formed according to this principle.

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Fig.3:

If a trend candle has already been formed, and the price continues moving for 10 ticks in the same direction, then the next trend candle is formed (as in the figure above (Fig.3)).

With certain settings that are individual for different instruments, the RangeUS chart will hide unnecessary market noise and show important support and resistance levels.

Renko

Renko charts represent price movements based solely on the movement without considering time factors.

Reversal 

To form this type of bar, the price must travel a certain distance, after which the price must roll back to the specified value.

The settings have 2 options:

Probe - the minimum bar size, after which the rollback can be counted (Example 13)

Value - the value of the rollback, after which the bar is fixed and a new one starts to form (Example 5)

If we select the value of 5 and the probe of 13, this will mean that the formation of all bars in the chart requires a rollback of 5 ticks after the minimum height of 13.

In this case, pay attention to the distribution of the volume in the bar; namely, which part of the bar contains the volume center (the unit with the maximum volume) and, most importantly, what the reaction was to this volume: forcing on the volume or rebounding from it. For this, the Reverse chart should be used in conjunction with the cluster display of the chart.

Order Flow 

This is a graphical equivalent of the spread tape. This parameter shows the distribution of volumes in each spread. This method of displaying the tape is useful because it enables you to see the balance between buyers and sellers and who has the initiative.

In addition to that, a filter to display clusters with the volume above the preset value, which has been traded in the spread, can be configured in the settings of this chart type. For example, if you select the value of 200, only the bars that have a minimum volume of 200 contracts will be formed.

Cumulative Trades 

This parameter is the same as the Tick cluster (i.e. a print tape); but here, the tape is shown in the form of a chart. The calculation is performed similarly to the Smart Tape module, but the data are presented in the form of clusters. Such an innovative approach to mapping the flow of transactions makes it easy to accept all incoming information. While the tape requires looking into figures to determine order prices, everything is seen in the dynamics directly on the chart.

You can also filter by minimum and maximum volume. Bars will only be built on the chart if they fall within the specified range of trade size in contracts that we set. This way you can see the dynamics of traders' transactions with different capitalization.