Charts User Manual 

Charts Overview

The Web-based charts provided by Forex-Markets.com are live foreign exchange charts, with multiple capabilities designed to complement any trading strategy.  The data is supplied by Tenfore Systems.  Prices are indicative real-time derived from the following contributors:

The charts update automatically in real-time, as the market moves.  Furthermore, by clicking on the "thumbtack" at the bottom of the chart, you can detach the chart, creating an independent window that can be adjusted to  any desired size.

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Menu Items

 
Menu Items:  Instruments

The Instruments menu allows you to select which currency pair you wish to chart.  

 
Menu Items:  Chart Type

The Chart Type menu allows you to select which type of chart you wish to generate.  Candlestick, Line, and Bar OHLC are the most popular chart types.

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Menu Items:  Time Scale

The Time Scale menu allows you to select the time interval that you want each data point to represent.  Choices are a tick chart, a 5 minute chart, a 1 hour chart, and a daily chart.

 
Menu Items:  View

The View menu provides the following functionality: 

1. Select "Periods" to change the number of data points in each chart.  After clicking on "Periods", type in a new number, click "OK", and then click once on the chart.  The default is set to 200.  This means that the chart will display 200 ticks, or 200 5-minute periods, etc., depending on the "Time Scale" you have chosen.  Setting a smaller number is equivalent to showing a close up of more recent data, and setting a larger number allows the chart to "reach back" to include older data.

2. Select "Information" to the information of the chart data that your mouse pointer rests on.  You can also see this information by right-clicking anywhere on the data.

3. Select "Logarithmic" to change the y-axis scale to logarithmic instead of arithmetic.  Most traders will not utilize this function.  The "Logarithmic" selection will appear in bold when it has been selected.  Select it again to remove logarithmic scaling.

4. Select "Crosshair" to toggle between displaying or not displaying crosshairs on the chart when you hold your mouse pointer over it.  The "Crosshair" selection will appear in bold when it has been selected.  Select it again to remove the Crosshair.

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Menu Items:  Lines

The Lines menu provides the following functionality:

1. Select "Add", "Close" to draw a line connecting the close of one period to the close of another period.  After selecting "Add", "Close", click on the starting data point for the line, and hold the mouse button down as you draw the line, releasing it as you reach the ending data point. 

2. Select "Add", "High/Low" to draw a line connecting the High or Low of one period to the High or Low of another period.  After selecting "Add", "High/Low", click on the high or low of the starting data point for the line, and hold the mouse button down as you draw the line, releasing it as you reach the ending data point.  This option only works on Chart Types that display a High and Low.  

3. Select "Add", "Horizontal" to create a straight horizontal line anywhere on the chart.  After selecting "Add", "Horizontal", click once on the chart where you wish to draw the horizontal line.  If your mouse pointer is above the chart, the horizontal line will be positioned at the high of the data point based on the vertical position of your mouse pointer.  If your mouse pointer is below the chart, the horizontal line will be positioned at the low of the data point based on the vertical position of your mouse pointer. 

4. Select "Add", "Freehand" to draw a straight line anywhere on the chart.  After selecting "Add", "Freehand", click once on the starting point of the line you wish to draw, and hold the mouse button down as you draw the line.

5. Select "Delete" to remove a single line.  Hold your mouse over the line you wish to delete.  When it turns red, it is ready for deletion and you can click on it to remove it.

6. Select "Parallel" to create a line parallel to an existing line you have already drawn on the chart. Hold your mouse over the first line until it turns red, then click once, and a parallel line will appear.  This option only works when you have already drawn at least one line on the chart.

7.  Select "Move Line" to move an existing line you have already drawn on the chart. Hold your mouse over the first line until it turns red, then click once, and drag.  Release when the line has been moved to the desired location.  This option only works when you have already drawn at least one line on the chart.

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Menu Items:  Studies

The Studies menu allows you to display a variety of technical studies on the chart.  Just select the type of study you wish to generate, select the desired parameters, and click "OK".  A definition of common technical studies can be found at www.forex-training.com/studies.htm.   

 
Menu Items:  Zoom

The Zoom menu allows you to zoom into, and back out of, the chart.  To zoom in, select "Zoom In" and then draw a box around the data range you wish to zoom in on.  You can zoom in multiple times.  To zoom back out one layer at a time, select "Zoom out" from the Zoom menu.

 
Detaching and Sizing Charts

You can "detach" a chart by clicking on the "thumbtack" at the bottom of the chart.  This puts the chart in an independent chart window that can be adjusted to any desired size by clicking and dragging the corner of the window.  To reattach the chart, just close the window or click the thumbtack again.

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