NT8 Strategy Builder Not Working

[givemefood]

Hello,

I created a simple MACD strategy using the builder but it doesn't appear to work even after enabling it on the chart in my sim account. I looked at the error log and found a bunch of messages neither of which read like an error to me. Can you please check and advise what I might be doing wrong?

The strategy doesn't work on the Strategy Analyzer either. It runs but produces nothing.

Thanks for your help.

[givemefood]

bumping this up for support

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello givemefood,

It looks like you are connected to the Simulated Data Feed which is fake real-time data only, and is not market data, and does not have historical data. The Strategy Analyzer requires historical data.

See this forum post about data.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/forum/ninjatrader-8/platform-technical-support-aa/97622-ninja-trader-development?p=786317#post786317

You will need to see chart bars loading on the chart to confirm there is data there.

The messages about orders being ignored are because they are being submitted before CurrentBar is equal to or greater than BarsRequiredToTrade. Either change the condition to wait until CurrentBar is greater than 20, or set BarsRequiredToTrade to 1 and require CurrentBar to be greater than 1.

To understand why orders are or are not being submitted, enable TraceOrders and in a condition set with no conditions, print the time of the bar and all values used in the conditions that submit the order.

Below is a link to a forum post on using TraceOrders and Print() to understand behavior. Please watch the video 'Debugging using prints with the Strategy Builder'.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/forum/ninjatrader-7/strategy-development-aa/99209-date-conditions-not-working?p=791121#post791121

[givemefood]

I'm connected to my live account and can see the tick candles move. However, I switched to the Sim License to enable testing of the Strategy builder.

I didn't write a code but used the "strategy builder" feature to try this out. I'm not coding. I followed the instructions delivered by Brett Barrett from NT available on this link. Very simplistic. Nothing complex. In there he's left the value for "Bars required to trade" at 20.

However, based on your suggestion I changed that value to 1. I still can't get the strategy to work on the chart or "backtest" via Strategy Analyzer.

I've attached screenshots of the Log and the code from the strategy builder.

What else am I missing?

[givemefood]

Here's the error log

[givemefood]

Forgot the compile the strategy earlier. The attached screenshot is the log after the strategy was compiled and run.
Can you please advise what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks.

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello givemefood,

Yes, I understand you created the script with the Strategy Builder which generated the code. None the less, you will need to enable TraceOrders and add prints in the strategy builder to understand the behavior.

What you may be doing wrong, is having conditions that are not evaluating as true, or orders that are being ignored, or orders that are being automatically cancelled. The TraceOrders and prints will tell you exactly what is wrong.

[givemefood]

Thanks.
I think I got passed those errors. Now, I can't get the Strategy to "Enable". I can pull up the strategy to run it on the chart. It allows me to check "Enabled" but when Apply or OK is clicked, the strategy doesn't enable. The checkbox gets unchecked automatically.
Any clues?

[NinjaTrader_ChelseaB]

Hello givemefood,

The errors are stating you have invalid logic in OnStateChange(). 'Object reference not set to instance of an object' means a variable with a null value was attempted to be used.

A common reason for this is improperly attempting to use indicator or price information for stop losses or profit targets.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/forum/ninjatrader-8/strategy-development/1142876-stop-loss-and-profit-target-based-on-atr?p=1142942#post1142942

https://ninjatrader.com/support/foru...596#post806596

Indicators and price series cannot be used for set methods in the Strategy Builder as these are set in State.Configure, before the indicators or price series exist.

Are you attempting to use indicator plot series or price series for a set method?

[givemefood]

Nevermind. I fixed it. Thanks for your help. Please close this thread.