Moving trend lines

[Tantalus]

I've noticed that after I draw trendlines, they often get moved and shifted out of place, sometimes substantially, as I'm advancing the time manually. It's kind of a pain to keep moving them back to where they should be.

[Terranin]

I've noticed that after I draw trendlines, they often get moved and shifted out of place, sometimes substantially, as I'm advancing the time manually. It's kind of a pain to keep moving them back to where they should be.

They could be shifted in only one case - when the right end of the line is out of chart and there is no candles. In this case when it happens on the weekends or history holes it could be moved when new candle created. I can recommend to use rays where 2 base points are inside the chart.

[Tantalus]

Well, it seems to happen quite frequently, and not just when the lines extend beyond the chart. It often happens when the chart re-scales, even when the line is short and both ends are within the chart window. I'll watch more closely to see if I can get more information about under what conditions this problem occurs.

[Terranin]

Well, it seems to happen quite frequently, and not just when the lines extend beyond the chart. It often happens when the chart re-scales, even when the line is short and both ends are within the chart window. I'll watch more closely to see if I can get more information about under what conditions this problem occurs.

It is not a bug. For example lets say you place line on the daily chart as you think on the highest point. The time of the end will be rounded to day, hour 0, minute 0. Then you go to 15 timeframe and see that it is shifted from its highest value - this is because line end is still on the hour 0, minute 0, but your highest value now has time hour 4, minute 45. If you correct your line and now it has the time value hour 4, minute 45 - it will be shown correctly on both timeframes. But when we draw line on the daily charts we do not have information about where you want to put this line inside the day (which hour and minute)... This information could be found on smaller timeframes.

The same situation you will find in metatrader too exactly.

[Tantalus]

That makes sense, but I think you misunderstood me. I'm not talking about changing timeframes, I'm talking about stepping through data one bar at a time while maintaining a consistent timeframe. As the data is stepped, the chart will sometimes re-scale the y axis to accomodate the changing price range that is shown. It is at these times that the trendlines move relative to the price chart. It seems that the price data is shifted as the y axis is re-scaled, but the trendline positions don't shift in exactly the same way, so they are no longer placed where they should be.

After further study, I've seen that it's usually the point at the right end of the trendline which is incorrectly placed. I will have drawn a line across several tops, then suddenly I see that the trendline is now being penetrated by these tops, and the right end line must be moved to achieve the correct alignment.

Also, I notice that it happens more often to recently drawn trendlines than to those which have been around for a while, and that only some trendlines are misplaced when the shifting occurs - sometimes only one, sometimes two or three, but never more than that. Other, older trendlines usually stay where they should.

I'll see if I can provide you with some screen captures so you can see more clearly what is happening.

[Tantalus]

Here are some screen shots to illustrate what I'm seeing:

Notice the downward trendline I've drawn to show the recent reversal. In the first image, it comes just across the market top at about 109.85, where I drew it. Then in the second image (taken immediately after the program slightly re-scaled the chart) the line is seen to be lower than it was, such that the market top at 109.95 now clearly penetrates the trendline. It has shifted even though I haven't changed timeframes and even though both endpoints are within the chart window.

I hope this gives a good example of the problem I'm seeing. It's happening quite often.

Thx.

[Terranin]

This is what I was talking about. Your both lines have right ends on the area where no bars. It is unknown date and time for them, possible there is holidays, possible holes in quots, program tries to approximate time but when new bar arrives with time equal to approximated it can shift. In this case use rays with base points marked with squares and everything will be fine.

[Tantalus]

OK, I understand what you mean by 'not on the chart'... I'll give rays a shot.

Thx.

[dusktrader]

Hello, I am experiencing the same problem described here. Can you please look at this and tell me if it is still not a bug? Here is a really simple example of the shifting trendline (I'm just a beginner). This is occurring in Testing Mode while I am manually stepping through the chart.

I am able to confirm that the same shift occurs when I have the chart in play mode where bars come automatically.

Thanks

[FT Support]

Hello,

Your lower trend line ends on the area where no bars are present. It is unknown date and time, possible there is holidays, possible holes in quots, program tries to approximate time but when new bar arrives it can shift your trend line end point. In this case we recommend to use rays with base points located in known area.

[dusktrader]

Hello,

Your lower trend line ends on the area where no bars are present. It is unknown date and time, possible there is holidays, possible holes in quots, program tries to approximate time but when new bar arrives it can shift your trend line end point. In this case we recommend to use rays with base points located in known area.

Thanks for your reply. Just to clarify... are you saying that if I ensure the trendline does not end on a blank spot in the data, that this would not happen?

I can see in all the cases where this situation has happened that the volume is low. This is probably a holiday or data error as you mentioned.

[FT Support]

Yes, if you have both ends of trend line within available data this will not happen.