Here's A Way to Draw Channels Quickly & Cleanly

[shamal]

This is a great example of why I purchased the Ninja product ! Thank you to everyone for the input and moving this suggestion forward. There is a bright community of minds out there, and often I find traders coming up with really brilliant suggestions that don't get the recognition they deserve. This is a classic example of how to treat your customer's ideas, I know it was slow coming, but at least it arrived ! I also realize the difficulty in implementing all the ideas that are submitted.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Alfred,

I understand the desire for this, but there would be some difficulties with adding an anchor to the right of the parallel line due to confusion. Having the anchor there would imply that that was a point which we actually used to draw the object with. Since the object really only has 3 defining points though it can become confusing when people try to programmatically access the "true" parallel line anchor point because you can draw the object forwards or backwards, you wouldn't really know which point was the true 3rd anchor visually. It implies a kind of symmetry in how one would draw the object which wouldn't be accurate.

Thank you for your suggestion about multiple extend increments. I have added it to our feedback list with item #986.

[Alfred]

Thanks Josh...

The anchor points do work well as they are now ...

When measuring between well defined events...those points will often be echoed at the one and two future increments of the initial set-up line....(sometimes even three)....the 3 increments option could also easily turn the tool into a bit longer more traditional parallel line chart tool if desired....

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[Gumby]

Are you saying that the 4 arrow cursor is the glitch here - it should reflect a 2 arrow cursor when you hover your cursor on the parallel anchor?

Jason,

Yes, that's what I'm saying. When you modify the parallel anchor point, you are NOT relocating the drawing object (contrary to what you said); you are altering it (altering the starting point of the parallel line). Thus, the 2-arrow cursor should appear when hovered over the anchor point (instead of the 4-arrow cursor like what currently happens).

[NinjaTrader_Jason]

Hello Gumby,

When you modify the parallel anchor point you reposition the entire trend channel object if you use the middle anchor point. If you use the start and end anchor point of the parallel line, you will reposition the parallel line.

When you use the start and end anchor point of the trend line, it will alter the drawing object.

I will forward your suggestion to reflect a 2 headed arrow when you hover the cursor above the start and end anchor of the parallel line to my superiors.

[Alfred]

Seems to me that a two arrow cursor over the left end anchor point of the parrallel line would imply that you could change the length of the parrallel line...which you cannot do from that point...the 4 arrow cousor there looks correct.....to me anyway....

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Gumby,

There are two types of relocations possible, but unfortunately there is only one type of standard generally accepted "move" icon. The 2 headed arrow is, as Alfred mentioned, an icon for resizing. The 4 headed arrow icon is used for moving objects.

Parallel line anchor point = reposition the parallel line
Anywhere else along the parallel line = reposition the whole object

[Barbara2]

Josh,
there are 2 reasons why the cursor icon for the parallel line anchor point should be changed to the 2 headed arrow resizing icon:

1) if the cursor icon doesn't change when you move the cursor along the parallel line, you don't know which function will be selected when the cursor is close to the anchor point. Since there are no Modify / Move commands, the cursor icon is the only way to select the proper command (besides trial and error, but where is the undo function)

2) The cursor icon usually indicates which command will be in use for the whole object, not parts of the object:
Moving the anchor point of the parallel line does not move the object, it modifies the object (changes the shape/size of the object by moving the parallel line).
Moving the other anchor points also modifies the object (both lines change when you move an anchor point)

[NinjaTrader_Jason]

Hello Barbara2,

Thank you for your feedback. I will forward it to Josh.

The regular cursor (1 arrow) changes to a double headed arrow when you hover above the start and end anchor of the trend line only. This will alter the drawing object without relocating entire lines - one anchor point of each line remains the same.

When you hover the cursor above the other anchor points, it will turn into a four headed arrow. These anchor points will relocate the drawing object or part of the drawing object.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

Barbara2,

Thanks for your thoughts. We will explore our options around this area.

[NinjaTrader_JoshP]

For the people asking for a change in the icon on the 3rd anchor point just so there was a way to differentiate it from the "move" icon along the whole line, we have implemented it in R6. Please note that even though it is using the 2-sided arrow, it does not mean it is a resizing anchor point.

[Gumby]

Great, thanks Josh. I think this will make the tool's anchor points consistent with those in the Ruler and the Andrew's Pitchfork - both of which have 3 anchors and a 2-arrow cursor over each anchor (even though it could be argued that some of those anchors are used to relocate - not resize - parts of the object). With these tools (and all others for that matter), the cursor changes to 2 arrows whenever a point can be used to modify the size OR shape of the tool in any way, regardless of whether that modification involves relocating or resizing (or a combination of the two) part of the object. After all, relocating part of the object resizes the object as a whole.

[Alfred]

New Idea....

Here is a quite possibly a better way to do extensions of the Trend Channel tool (rather than in fixed increments as suggested in posts below)....set up tool percentages just like in the Fibo Time Extensions....show percentages as parallelogram lines on Trend Channel tool (these lines could be set to transparent if desired or turned off individually)....

Screen shots below...

Thanks....

[NinjaTrader_Jason]

Hello Alfred,

I will forward your suggestion to development regarding the trend channel tool. Thank you for your feedback.

[Alfred]

Scroll to left problem...?

As a chart scrolls to left the Trend Channel tool can disappear before other anchor lines placed in similar locations which remain in place as one scrolls to left...in screen shots below, the first one shows initial setup...2nd one shows missing Trend Channel tool as chart is scrolled to left...while blue Fibo Retrace anchor lines adjacent to Trend Channel always continually remain in place as one scrolls to left...tried on a fresh chart (no template etc) & seems to work the same way...

Video on this at...
http://www.screencast.com/t/fCJ98AvoKB


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