Editing StockChartsACP Charts

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Editing StockChartsACP Charts

Overview

StockChartsACP charts are fully customizable, from the basics like chart type, period, and range, to adding complex combinations of overlays and indicators. Read on to learn how to configure your StockChartsACP charts to fit your trading style and technical analysis needs.

Chart settings can be changed from the Basic Chart Settings menu at the top of the screen and the Chart Design menu at the left side of the screen.

Some chart setting changes (like our Speed Settings) take effect immediately, so you can instantly see the effect of any adjustments you make. Other settings require you to press an Update button before the change is reflected on your chart.

Note: To update a saved chart with your setting changes, be sure to click the Save button above the chart after you've finished editing it.

A Note on Editing in Multi-Chart Layouts

If you're using a multi-chart layout, be sure to click on the chart you want to edit before changing any settings. The currently-selected chart will have a blue border around the edge of the chart.

Learn More: StockChartsACP Layouts

Type, Period, and Range

From the Basic Chart Settings menu at the top of the screen, you can change the chart's type, period, and range.

  • Chart Types: We currently offer twelve chart types, including candlesticks and OHLC bars; more will be offered in the future.
  • Periods: Several intraday, daily, weekly, and monthly periods are available.
  • Range: The Range setting controls the amount of data that is visible on the chart (similar to the range settings on SharpCharts).

The period and range are tied together. If you choose a different period for your chart, then a “suitable” range will be chosen for the chart that is displayed, and vice versa. Once you've chosen the period you want, you can zoom in or out to adjust the range to meet your needs.

Note: Just like with SharpCharts, free users have access to fewer range and period options than StockCharts members have.

Chart Attributes

Clicking the Chart Settings icon in the Chart Design menu on the left (as shown below) gives you access to a wealth of other chart settings. In the panel that slides out, click on the symbol name at the top of the panel to change the chart scale, legend, price and event labels, and more. For quick access to these settings, you can also click on the symbol name in the legend of the chart itself.

The following settings can be changed on the Chart Attributes panel:

  • Y-Axis Scale: Choose between arithmetic and log scale for your chart. For more information on the difference between arithmetic and log scale, please see our ChartSchool article on price scaling.
  • Chart Header: Choose between a Slim, Standard, or Full Quote header for your chart. For narrower charts, a Slim chart header will be displayed regardless of the setting chosen here.
  • Legend: Choose between displaying Default or Minimal information in the chart's legend, or turn the legend Off entirely.
  • Events: Check these boxes to display Dividends, Splits, and/or Predefined Alerts on the chart.
  • Chart Type-Specific Settings: The options available in this section will depend on the type of chart you're modifying. For example, if you are configuring a candlestick chart, you can specify in this section whether the candles are hollow or filled, the colors to use for up and down candles, and the size of the gap between candles.
  • Other Settings: In this section, you can specify whether or not to show Price Labels at significant points on the chart, and whether or not to show the current price at the right edge of the chart.

Changes made on the Chart Attributes panel take effect immediately. No need to save the settings and refresh the chart to see the effect of your changes.

Indicators and Overlays

As a StockCharts member, you can add up to 25 indicators and 25 overlays to each StockChartsACP chart.

Technical Indicators can be added to your chart on indicator panels above or below the main price plot area of the chart. Some examples of commonly used technical indicators include MACD, RSI, and Stochastics.

Technical Overlays are calculated using the same vertical scale as the price bars, so they are typically displayed on top of the main symbol's price bars. Examples of overlays include moving average lines, Bollinger Bands, and Pivot Point lines.

Note: Just like with SharpCharts, free users will be limited to a maximum of 3 indicators and 3 overlays per chart.

Adding Indicators and Overlays to the Chart

Clicking the Chart Settings icon in the Chart Design menu on the left opens a panel that shows the indicators and overlays currently in use on your chart. Indicators listed at the top are displayed above the main price plot, and indicators listed at the bottom are displayed below the price plot. Overlays that appear on the main price plot are listed between the two dividers.

In the example below, we can see that this is a chart of GM, with an RSI panel displayed above the main price plot, two moving averages and volume overlaid on the main price plot, and a MACD indicator displayed below the main price plot.

A searchable list of available indicators and overlays appears below. To add a new indicator or overlay to your chart, simply find it on the searchable list, and click to add it.

When the indicator or overlay is added, a panel will open where you can change its settings.

Changing Indicator Settings

Available settings vary from one indicator/overlay to the next, but typically you will be able to specify the color of the various indicator components, as well as settings like the number of periods that will affect the sensitivity of the indicator.

Speed Settings

When looking at the currently-used indicators and overlays on the Chart Settings panel, you will see that some of them have a small triangle icon. Click that triangle to show the most commonly-adjusted settings for that indicator or overlay. You can change those settings and watch your chart adjust as you move the slider.

Full Settings

There are a number of ways to access the full settings for the indicator:

  • Mouse over the indicator on the Chart Settings panel and click the gears icon next to the indicator.
  • Click on the indicator name in the legend of the chart.
  • And of course, when you add a new indicator or overlay to your chart, the full settings menu will be launched for that indicator automatically.

The panel that opens allows you to change all the settings for the indicator, not just the most commonly-adjusted ones.

While changing the Speed Settings updates the chart instantly, changes in the Full Settings panel are not reflected on the chart until you press the green Update button at the bottom of the panel.

To revert to the default settings for the indicator, click the grey Reset button right below the settings.

To delete the indicator from your chart, click the red Delete button at the bottom of the panel.

Click the “X” icon at the top right of the panel to close the panel without saving your setting changes.

Color Picker

The color picker allows you to set both the color and opacity of various components of the indicator. Click on the paint icon next to the component you want to change. This will launch the color picker:

The large circle on the left shows the currently-selected color. To change the color, you can click on one of the standard color boxes at the bottom of the picker.

To choose a non-standard color, scroll back and forth on the rainbow slider bar to find the general color family you want to use. Fine-tune by clicking in the panel at the top of the color picker.

To change the opacity of the component, use the second slider bar. Sliding to the left makes the component more transparent and sliding to the right makes it more opaque.

Once you've set the color and opacity, click on the panel outside of the color picker to close it.

Positioning Indicators and Overlays

Indicator panels can be moved above or below the chart, or even added to the main price plot or another indicator panel as an overlay.

To move an indicator/overlay, click and drag on the indicator/overlay name in the legend. As you drag, the indicator will separate from the chart.

As you drag the panel around the chart, a bright blue line will show you where the indicator will be positioned when you let go of the mouse. If the blue line is a horizontal line above the price plot, the panel will be positioned above the price plot. If it's a horizontal line below the lower indicator panel, then the panel you're moving will be positioned below the lower indicator panel.

If the blue line forms a box around one of the panels (either the main price plot or one of the indicator panels), then the indicator/overlay you're moving will be added to that panel as an overlay.

Overlays of Indicators

Overlays are typically calculated from price data and displayed on top of the main symbol's price bars. Overlays (and some indicators) can also be calculated from the data of another indicator and displayed on top of that indicator panel. This is a two-step process.

First, position the overlay on the indicator panel, so it will be displayed on top of the indicator panel values.

Second, edit the overlay by clicking on its name in the legend. You will see a Calculated From setting in the Full Settings for the overlay. By default, this is set to Close, but you can change this setting to calculate using the values of the underlying indicator panel:

Removing Indicators and Overlays

Indicators and Overlays can be removed from the chart in two ways.

On the Full Settings panel for the indicator, click the red Delete button.

On the main Chart Settings panel, mouse over the indicator/overlay you want to delete and click the trash can icon.

Be aware that both of these methods will delete the indicator/overlay immediately; it will not ask you to confirm that you want to delete it. Use this feature with caution.

Indicator Plug-Ins

In addition to the many built-in indicators and overlay available for StockChartsACP, you can add even more indicators and overlays through the use of plug-ins. There are many free and paid plug-ins available for StockChartsACP, which install additional indicators and overlays to your StockCharts account for use on your StockChartsACP charts.

Once installed, these add-on indicators will be available at the bottom of the indicator selection list in the Chart Settings panel.

Learn More: StockChartsACP Plug-Ins

Color Scheme

StockCharts offers a variety of stylish color schemes for your StockChartsACP charts. The collection includes dark, light, and specialty color schemes.

To change the color scheme of your chart, click the Paint Can icon on the Chart Design menu at the left side of the screen. This will expand the list of available color schemes. Click the circle next to your desired scheme to update the currently-selected chart with that color scheme.

To revert to the default StockChartsACP color scheme, choose the Murphy color scheme in the Light Schemes section.

If you are using a multi-chart layout, you can check the “Apply to All” checkbox at the top of the Color Schemes panel. When this is checked, all charts in the layout will be updated at once when you choose a new color scheme.

Using ChartStyles in StockChartsACP

If you find yourself configuring the same chart settings over and over again, ChartStyles can really speed up your chart creation. Save all those settings in a ChartStyle, then apply the style to new charts with the click of a button.

Learn More: StockChartsACP ChartStyles