Plotting an indicator in a strategy

[eelofi]

Hello,

I'm still a beginner with NT and have plenty to learn.

In my strategy development I'd need to visualize the indicators and have been trying to understand how that should be done. So I took the NT Sample MACrossOver and modified a copy of it.

But I fail to understand why my added:
EMA(10).Plots[0].Pen.Color=Color.Gray;
and
Add(EMA(10));

Don't produce anything visible while the original SMA(Fast) and (Slow) plot just fine.

Thanks for any advice,
Eelofi

[NinjaTrader_PatrickH]

Hello eelofi,

Thank you for your post.

Try setting the SMAs to transparent for the color and then advise if you see the gray EMA plot.

[eelofi]

Thanks Patrick,

I set the SMA's to not plot at all. And now I see no indicators. There something fundamental about drawing an indicator in a strategy which I haven't spotted / understood

BR,
Eelofi

[NinjaTrader_PatrickH]

Hello eelofi,

Please provide the full code you are using for the indicator.

[eelofi]

Trying to make it as simple as possible in the beginning. So took the SampleMA Crossover and just added the EMA and tried to EMA visible in the chart.


//
// Copyright (C) 2006, NinjaTrader LLC <www.ninjatrader.com>.
// NinjaTrader reserves the right to modify or overwrite this NinjaScript component with each release.
//

#region Using declarations
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using NinjaTrader.Cbi;
using NinjaTrader.Data;
using NinjaTrader.Indicator;
using NinjaTrader.Strategy;
#endregion

// This namespace holds all strategies and is required. Do not change it.
namespace NinjaTrader.Strategy
{
/// <summary>
/// Simple moving average cross over strategy.
/// </summary>
[Description("Simple moving average cross over strategy. Test 20150618")]
public class Test20150618 : Strategy
{
#region Variables
private int fast = 10;
private int slow = 25;
#endregion

/// <summary>
/// This method is used to configure the strategy and is called once before any strategy method is called.
/// </summary>
protected override void Initialize()
{
SMA(Fast).Plots[0].Pen.Color = Color.Orange;
SMA(Slow).Plots[0].Pen.Color = Color.Green;
EMA(10).Plots[0].Pen.Color=Color.Gray;

Add(SMA(Fast));
Add(SMA(Slow));

Add(EMA(10));

CalculateOnBarClose = true;
}

/// <summary>
/// Called on each bar update event (incoming tick).
/// </summary>
protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
if (CrossAbove(SMA(Fast), SMA(Slow), 1))
EnterLong();
else if (CrossBelow(SMA(Fast), SMA(Slow), 1))
EnterShort();
}

#region Properties
/// <summary>
/// </summary>
[Description("Period for fast MA")]
[GridCategory("Parameters")]
public int Fast
{
get { return fast; }
set { fast = Math.Max(1, value); }
}

/// <summary>
/// </summary>
[Description("Period for slow MA")]
[GridCategory("Parameters")]
public int Slow
{
get { return slow; }
set { slow = Math.Max(1, value); }
}
#endregion
}
}

[eelofi]

OK, I noticed yesterday that this strategy doesn't in fact display the graph for the indicators, not SMA nor EMA.

Then I tried to find an example which would actually draw the indicator onto the chart and found one at: http://traders.com/Documentation/FEE...ps.html#item12

So from this one I now understand how to get an indicator values visualized into the graph. But as far as I can see the syntax is what I was trying to use in the first place:
Add(SMA(8));
SMA(8).Plots[0].Pen.Width = 2;

But anyways, got my problem solved now. And now heading towards the next problem..

Cheers,
Eelofi