Any chance of adding a color and style buttons for Drawing Tools?

[woodyfox]

Any chance NT8 will be adding quick access drawing tool buttons that will change the color or style of a drawing object. Just to change the color or style of a basic line, you have to go through several drop down menus.
I thought for sure the New NT8 would include this. Seems such primitive charting software without these basic charting needs.
I'm sure there are several aftermarket companies that would love to sell these add on's, with little to no tech support or guarantee they will work with NT8 Updates.
Come on NinjaTrader, can't we get these basic charting tools included, without jumping through hoops. Drop down menus is soooo primitive!!

[James108]

I agree, I posted suggestions during the beta phase. In some ways NT8 is a step back from NT7 in terms of number of clicks required to preform changes in drawing tools.

I would really like to see a scalper (need for very fast actions) consulting with the developers to make this a outstanding platform.

I get the impression that form and style of the layout is ahead of usability. I care about functionality more than looks

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello woodyfox,

Below is a link to a video I've taken of changing the color of a line drawing object.

https://www.screencast.com/t/35E38OmYVe

There appears to be one extra step in that in the properties window of that drawing object the color is in an expandable section.

Further, it is also possible to type a color name, hex value, or argb value as the color input in NinjaTrader 8.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JPcE2DmrY01iDPMbDT2gko1WD-OTvt3M/view

Would you like to submit a feature request to remove the color input from the Line expandable category so this matches the number of clicks as NinjaTrader 7?

Are you wanting to submit a feature request to allow the color to be set in another manner?
If so, how are you wanting to set the color of a drawing object?

[woodyfox]

Hi Chelsea,
Your first link is prime example of what James and many other traders are talking about. The video takes over a minute to demonstrate drawing two lines and then changing the color of those lines.

We are simply asking for Quick Access Buttons, as stated in my first post. Allowing these Buttons to be placed on the top NT8 menu, maybe a quick access side bar menu, possible quick access buttons located on Chart Trader. There are many possibilities, but simply none available to the trader.

Quick Access Buttons could include Drawing Tool, Chart Markers, Drawing Tool Color, Line Style, Opacity Control, Bar widths, Bar Spacing, etc.

NinjaTrader 8 jumped way ahead of NinjaTrader 7 with Tabbing. This gives the trader quick access to many charts on the go and saves valuable screen space. A+ to that! But NT8 could jump light years in ease of use with available quick access buttons?

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello woodyfox,

Thank you for clarifying that you are not requesting NinjaTrader 8 to match the behavior of NinjaTrader 7.

I am happy to submit a feature request regarding adding quick buttons for drawing objects.

How would these buttons work?

Would a new button be created for each new drawing object on the chart?

Would this button simply open the Drawing Objects window?

Would the button allow for a color (or line style, opacity, etc) to be selected before applying this to the object?

I will submit a separate feature request for adding the bar spacing as buttons to the chart toolbar. Would there be two buttons (increase and decrease) for bar spacing and two buttons for bar width?

As a heads up, you can add buttons to a chart using an indicator. This means if you wanted some quick buttons added to the chart that change the colors of drawing objects, this could be achieved right now by designing a custom indicator to do so.
Below is a link to a forum thread with a few examples of adding buttons to the chart with an indicator.

http://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?p=499327#post499327

[woodyfox]

Hi Chelsea,
With all do respect, you are part of NinjaTrader. You guys program. I am not a programmer, and do not plan to become one. I have expanded on a few other indicator ideas and that is it (Copy and Paste).

Indicators are great when the work and somebody know how to fix the programing them when they don't.

Possible Feature Request:
Maybe just a simple menu were a trader can pick the Quick Access Buttons he prefers and a choice on were to put them.

A simple start would be Quick Access Buttons for Drawing Tools, Drawing Objects, Line Style, Object Color, Line width.

Many NinjaTrader users would love to see a choice like this.
Hope you can make it happen!!

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello woodyfox,

I am having some difficulty with the concept of a single button without a drop-down that is able to change the color of a single drawing object when there are many drawing objects on the chart. How would the button know which objects color to change?
I was attempting to get a little more information about what you are wanting to see on the chart as a control that you would find more efficient than editing the proprieties of the drawing object in the properties window.

However, I am happy to submit your feature request as "adding Quick Access Buttons for Drawing Tools, Drawing Objects, Line Style, Object Color, Line width."

Once I have a tracking ID for this request I will post in this thread for future reference.

Please note, it is up to the NinjaTrader Development to decide if and when a feature request will be implemented in a future version of NinjaTrader.


Regarding the code samples I have linked to in my previous post, this would be used if you decide you would like an immediate UI change such as this that can possibly be achieved with an indicator.

Should you decide to create the indicator, I am not able to assist with the logic but I am able to assist by providing examples of modifying the UI and general NinjaScript reference.

You can also contact a professional NinjaScript Consultant who would be eager to create or modify this script at your request or assist you with your script. The NinjaTrader Ecosystem has affiliate contacts who provide educational as well as consulting services. Please let me know if you would like our business development follow up with you with a list of affiliate consultants who would be happy to create this script or any others at your request.

Also, this thread will remain open for any community members that would like to create this script as a convenience to you, or may know of a indicator that is able to achieve this type of behavior.

[-=Edge=-]

A simple start would be Quick Access Buttons for Drawing Tools, Drawing Objects, Line Style, Object Color, Line width.

I'm not sure if you would be interested in a commercial version of an indicator like this, but a demonstration of exactly what your looking for can be found here..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS6ijMLwr4I

[woodyfox]

Hi Chelsea,
For Now I am going to use the drawing tool indicator that has been posted on the forum. Hopefully somebody will create an indicator or addon that will make modifying drawing objects faster. Till then maybe you can help me change the Icon's on this indicator to images. I have tried changing them using your suggestions from an earlier post with no success.

This is something I tried?
System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage rulerImage = new System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage();
rulerImage = new System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage(new Uri(NinjaTrader.Core.Globals.UserDataDir + @"bin\Custom\ToolBarIcons\Ruler.jpg"));

if (!isToolBarButtonAdded && showRuler)
{
btnRuler.Content = rulerImage;
btnRuler.Click += btnRuler_Click;
chartWindow.MainMenu.Add(btnRuler);
}

This is the original code, using NT8 Icons.
if (!isToolBarButtonAdded && showRisk)
{
btnRisk = new System.Windows.Controls.Button { Content = NinjaTrader.Gui.Tools.Icons.DrawRiskReward, };
btnRisk.Click += btnRisk_Click;
chartWindow.MainMenu.Add(btnRisk);
}

[aligator]

woodyfox,

Hi, I have posted the Toolbar using NT8 icons, you can certainly add to it whatever you need, and it already includes bar thickness buttons. To change these buttons based on image Icons would not really add to performance, just eye candy.

There is a little more involved than your snipet, but it is not supposed to be hard, and I have not tried it yet.

There is some information here in the help area that might be helpful:

http://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt8/en-us/

Regardless, if someone at ninja or a member would provide code example to at least put one button including an image in the main toolbar, then you can run with it and add all the buttons you need.

Cheers!

Hi Chelsea,
For Now I am going to use the drawing tool indicator that has been posted on the forum. Hopefully somebody will create an indicator or addon that will make modifying drawing objects faster. Till then maybe you can help me change the Icon's on this indicator to images. I have tried changing them using your suggestions from an earlier post with no success.

This is something I tried?
System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage rulerImage = new System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage();
rulerImage = new System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage(new Uri(NinjaTrader.Core.Globals.UserDataDir + @"bin\Custom\ToolBarIcons\Ruler.jpg"));

if (!isToolBarButtonAdded && showRuler)
{
btnRuler.Content = rulerImage;
btnRuler.Click += btnRuler_Click;
chartWindow.MainMenu.Add(btnRuler);
}

This is the original code, using NT8 Icons.
if (!isToolBarButtonAdded && showRisk)
{
btnRisk = new System.Windows.Controls.Button { Content = NinjaTrader.Gui.Tools.Icons.DrawRiskReward, };
btnRisk.Click += btnRisk_Click;
chartWindow.MainMenu.Add(btnRisk);
}

[woodyfox]

Thanks, Aligator.
I went ahead and added all the drawing tools and chart markers to your indicator just in case somebody wanted them. I'm like you and only use a few, but thought I could help someone out and learn a little Ninjascript. I really liked the way you have it set up on the Main toolbar and you do not have to add it to every tab I would like to add those custom Icons to it because of visibility on the go and I'm just used to them because they were used on many NT7 Toolbar addons that I had been using for the last couple of years.
Thanks for writing the indicator! Its the only drawing indicator I could find that will work and dose not cost over $100.
Thanks again. Woody

[sonia0101]

Thanks, Aligator.
I went ahead and added all the drawing tools and chart markers to your indicator just in case somebody wanted them. I'm like you and only use a few, but thought I could help someone out and learn a little Ninjascript. I really liked the way you have it set up on the Main toolbar and you do not have to add it to every tab I would like to add those custom Icons to it because of visibility on the go and I'm just used to them because they were used on many NT7 Toolbar addons that I had been using for the last couple of years.
Thanks for writing the indicator! Its the only drawing indicator I could find that will work and dose not cost over $100.
Thanks again. Woody

hello woodyfox is what you did available and where is it? Thanks

[woodyfox]

Hi Sonia,
Its located In the NinjaTrader 8 Indicators. The name is A mahToolBar update

Go here http://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/ and then to NinjaTrader 8 Indicators.

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello woodyfox,

For future reference, your request to add Quick Access Buttons for Drawing tools such as line style, object color, and line width to the chart toolbar is being tracked with ID #SFT-2184.

Please note it is up to the NinjaTrader Development to decide if and when a request will be implemented.

Thank you for the suggestion. Please let me know of any other requests you have for the NinjaTrader Platform.

[woodyfox]

Thanks Chelsea!
In the mean time Im trying to learn some of the Ninjascript stuff. Some things I just can't understand, but I will keep asking. This Forum is always very helpful.
Thanks Again, Woody.