Sniffy Bar Counter

Introduction

This bar counter is primarily intended for use with YM 10m Box Chart 1 (Regular Trading Hours) or Chart 2 (Globex Session) .

It can be used for other instruments but you will have to ensure that Bar 1 starts at the correct time and that you are happy with dead zone and apex highlighting. These things are relatively straightforward.

The template consists of 3 DYOs and they must be listed in your chart objects in the sequence DYO 1,2 and 3.

The DYOs use Global Variables 255 and 241 to hold persistent data (data that needs to be maintained from bar to bar), and GVs 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 for intra-DYO use (only used inside the DYO and the data need not be maintained across bars).

This means that you should not use GVs 255 and 241 in your chart for anything but the bar counter; but you can use the bar counter on multiple charts in your workspace if you wish.

Also, if you use GVs 1-7 to hold persistent data in your chart, the bar counter will destroy that data. If GVs 1-7 are only used within other DYOs on your chart, then that data should be safe.

The template uses sub-window 1, so if you are already using this for something change it or change the bar counter.

Brief Description

On a YM Chart 1, this is pretty much what the counter should look like.

You will see that the counter highlights:

• Bar 1; the YM open at 0820 (blue)
• Bar 8; the Dow open at 0930 (red)
• Bar 11; the 1000 am bar (blue again).

Other features are:

• The dead zone is marked with D right across from Bar 13 start of zone, through to Bar 36 end of zone
• Bars 13 and 36 (1020 and 1420 bars), the zone limits and outer apexes are also highlighted with a cross
• Bar 25 is the middle “apex” and is marked with a + sign.

That’s all there is to Chart 1, except to say that 1620-1700 bars are simply printed sequentially after the close of RTH at Bar 47.

When applied to Chart 2, the bar sequence would simply keep counting round until the 0810 Bar and then reset back to Bar 1 for the 0820 open.

You can see that the 0810 Bar below is numbered 134 – that’s because my chart is missing some data. But from a Bar counting point of view, that doesn’t matter; the counter will just count what you give it. The fact that your chart may be incorrect is neither here nor there. You must ensure that your bars are correct; the counter will not do it for you.

Ensure that you have “Zero volume bars” checked on in Setup/Charts as well as “Time Stamp bar on Open” checked.

You may have to slightly adjust your bar spacing to take account of 3 digit bar counts, but otherwise no differences should arise compared to Chart 1.

Other Instruments

The counter works perfectly well on instruments other than YM. The problem arises in start times, dead zone and apex highlighting.

Here is a Euro chart with the DYO setup to start at 1800 start of Globex.

Changing the start time to (say) Globex start at 1800 EST is a one line change:

• Go to DYO 1, Line A and simply insert the start time you desire in the “Number” box, for example;

In fact you can easily modify the template to have any start time.

Here is a QM chart with start time at 1000 am EST.

Change the start time in the same way as the last example.

The issue with these other instruments like 6E, QM, ZB and so on is not the start times per se, it’s more the correct highlighting of the apexes and so on. If you want to modify the template for your own particular instrument favourite, I would encourage you to do so, and to post for the benefit of others. If you need help, seek me out and I’ll do my best to assist.

DYO Specifics

I don’t intend to walk through the logic in these things. If you need to know more or want to modify them then try to find me in Coffee House or Bline. Here they are.

DYO 1 should be first of the three in your Chart Objects List.

DYO 2 should come after DYO 1.

DYO 3 should come after DYO 2

Installation and Setup

Not much to do except to download from here

Setup for YM only requires that you squash down sub-window 1 to about 2 or 3 characters in height; whatever rocks your boat.

You must ensure that you have:

• Zero volume bars checked in Setup/Charts
• Ditto “Time Stamp bar on Open”.

Modifying the start bar to reflect the open of any instrument is straightforward and if you need help just find me; others will also know how to do it.

Finally

I hope this little tool helps you, in no matter how small a way.

Relaxed trading.

Sniffy