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Date/Time: Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:12:57 +0000



Heatmap Improvements to be closer to Bookmap

View Count: 7571

[2022-12-17 11:43:47]
TopGunTrader - Posts: 161
Hi,

I desperately want to end my Bookmap subscription as I feel Sierra Chart is light years ahead with better DOM too. I can't get market depth historical to come even close to Bookmap's though.

I've studied what they do and Sierra's could be 95% like Bookmap and probably even better if

1) Have more than 3 settings for % or actual numbers. I would have at least 10.
2) Use color gradients between one number and other. There are many RGB gradient generators out there and its possible for Sierra to say between 50 and 75 contracts use a gradient between color of 50 and color of 75. This would let us SEE and intuitively feel the order book liquidity changes.

So to recap 10 would be fine if you can create the gradients between them otherwise 20 is likely needed so we can use online RGB gradient generators and do it ourselves. Right now the colors are far too blocky and unattractive compared to Bookmap. Jigsaw's suffer from similar flaws but at least they have 7 color levels, their biggest problem is not letting users adjust % or actual value for each level.

Please put this high on your list as a good heatmap makes traders MONEY! Far more than likely anything else, its a true edge. I know the bid/ask pulling stacking does something similar but I want to enter at/near high liquidity levels so can minimize stop distance.
[2022-12-17 13:10:21]
User907968 - Posts: 815
2) Use color gradients between one number and other.

This is already possible, the gradient is between the min/max colors.

a) Enable - Use Range Minimum Colors
Market Depth Historical Graph: Use Range Minimum Colors
b) Set Colors appropriately
c) Set appropriate value for Minimum Volume Intensity Percent
Market Depth Historical Graph: Minimum Volume Intensity Percent
d) Set appropraite values for Highest and Lowest Quantity for Coloring
Market Depth Historical Graph: Highest Quantity For Coloring
Market Depth Historical Graph: Lowest Quantity for Coloring

It is explained here - Market Depth Historical Graph: Block Coloring Logic
[2022-12-17 15:40:13]
TopGunTrader - Posts: 161
Hi,

Thanks for the above but still think there needs to be more levels and colors, even Jigsaw has 7. Attached screenshot shows Bookmap and there are probably at least 20-30 colors on here.

I want with %'s to have less than 50% be dark blue, 50-65% get lighter blue, 65-85% scale to orange and have the red be top 15% of colors

OR

less than 50 ES contracts very dark blue, 50-75 lighter blue, 75-100 light blue to white, 100-150 scale from white to yellow and 150 to 300 orange to red.

I have spent at least 4-5 hours trying this and feel its impossible in current state. Many other tools in Sierra have 8-12 options for colors and this one desperately needs it as well.
imagebookmap.png / V - Attached On 2022-12-17 15:36:00 UTC - Size: 627.2 KB - 1288 views
[2022-12-17 16:47:05]
User907968 - Posts: 815
Understood.
Don't know if it is any help to you, but I attach an example anyway.
attachmentHeatmapExample.Cht - Attached On 2022-12-17 16:41:33 UTC - Size: 3.75 KB - 1787 views
imageheatmap.png / V - Attached On 2022-12-17 16:41:40 UTC - Size: 130.46 KB - 3050 views
[2022-12-17 19:44:10]
TopGunTrader - Posts: 161
This is definitely a tremendous improvement THANK YOU!

Would it be terribly difficult to add a few more levels for more granularity? The thing I like about Bookmap's is it doesn't look pixelated. Somehow and I suspect its just having more colors it has or an algo to smooth between each level. The way you do it appears similar to Jigsaw.

Notice Bookmap's on the right has gradient bands that are far easier on the eye. There might be a 100+ colors here. Bookmap is very popular and I can tell you from using it for two years its ONLY due to their heatmap. Their volume dots are not accurate, small trades have dots too big as a proportion of big dots, until recently didn't have a DOM and bought a third party developers which is ok but not as good as yours or Jigsaws. I suspect some might like the volume or delta for only visible bars but its not customizable at all and I personally don't like nor use it.

Something to think about as somebody who used to create and sell trading software I can tell you it would be one of the Top5 most popular features if you can get your heatmap to look similar or better than Bookmaps!
imageCapture.PNG / V - Attached On 2022-12-17 19:40:04 UTC - Size: 615.69 KB - 1131 views
[2023-02-28 22:28:36]
Ragy - Posts: 29
Hello

I used the "HeatmapExample.Cht" but it did not work for me. I used it on AAPL and data did not come up. Please see attached. Any way you can send me the right template. Much appreciated.
Attachment Deleted.
imageCapture.PNG / V - Attached On 2023-02-28 22:28:06 UTC - Size: 24.29 KB - 581 views
[2023-02-28 23:37:14]
John - SC Support - Posts: 34254
You do not have Market Depth data with the U.S. Equities exchange that you are using. Therefore, the Market Depth Historical Graph will not work.

You will have to use a Futures contract in order to see the Market Depth Historical Graph. The chartbook attached above (HeatmapExample.cht) is specifically setup with the ES contract and should work just fine for you if you just open the chart. The thing will be that you will not have any historical Market Depth data. Refer to the following to force the download of the Historical Market Depth data from a specific time:
Market Depth Historical Graph: Downloading Of Historical Market Depth Data
For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2023-03-01 00:56:46]
Ragy - Posts: 29
Thanks John. So there is no market depth for US equities, is that what are you trying to day? I am asking because I know Bookmap offer market depth for US Equities.
[2023-03-01 16:13:25]
John - SC Support - Posts: 34254
We currently have 2 separate data feeds for U.S. Stocks. Each with a tradeoff.

- Sierra Chart Exchange Data Feed with U.S. Equities exchange (this is what you are using now): Does not have Market Depth data, but does have the consolidated tape volumes (volumes from all exchanges on which an instrument trades).

- Denali Exchange Data Feed with NASDAQ TotalView exchange: Does have Market Depth Data (except for delayed streaming data), but does not have the consolidated tape volumes. We are working on getting the consolidated tape for this data and should have it within about a month.

----

As noted above, the NASDAQ does not allow the Market Depth data unless it is paid for, so our Delayed Streaming Data for the NASDAQ TotalView does not include market depth information.
For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2023-04-15 17:33:51]
sierac11 - Posts: 4
where do i paste the heatmap data so i can use it as well?
[2023-04-15 17:48:07]
sierac11 - Posts: 4
so i dont know hot wo import the heatmap file
[2023-04-16 13:40:04]
User431178 - Posts: 495
where do i paste the heatmap data so i can use it as well?

Copy the file into the SierraChart/Data folder, that is it.
[2024-06-27 17:26:46]
User566250 - Posts: 37
Hello SC support team. I have been trying to get my Market Depth for US equities as close to Bookmap heatmap feature as possible. I am success with individual stocks using the "Combine increment in Ticks" and "Automatic Combine Increment Adjust Value" features, but unless I set up the Automatic Combine Increment Adjustment Value separately for each stock, the results will be good for one stock but completely useless for another stock with a different price (Ex. the increment for a $150 stock will result in terrible looking heatmap for a $800 stock). Is there a way to do the Automatic Combine increment using percentage values rather than tick value? I assume that should solve this problem. Please let me know if that is possible, or there is a work around for this. Thank you
[2024-06-27 20:02:04]
John - SC Support - Posts: 34254
We are not really understanding this. The "Automatic Combine Increment in Ticks" setting is actually the number of pixels. But the point is that it does not matter. It is just an adjustment value that you need to play with to find the point at which you like when the market depth values are combined together.

So this has nothing to do with the price or the tick size (apart from the relationship of Market Depth at each tick).

Therefore, once you have a setting that works, you should be able to apply that to any chart.

But, the purpose of the Automatic Combine Increment in Ticks is that as you adjust your chart the data will combine or separate. So if you have a setting you like for a chart and want to keep the chart like it is regardless of changes, then turn off the "Automatic Combine Increment in Ticks" as the "Combine Increment in Ticks" will now be set to the setting desired for that chart.
For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2024-06-28 14:31:52]
User566250 - Posts: 37
Thank you John. I have the desired Combine Increment in Ticks, and the other parameters in the study set on a chart now, but when I go to other stock symbols, I am getting a very unusable heatmap. Please see the attached heatmaps of the ticker I used to set the parameters, and also an example of what I get when I switch to another ticker. The second attachment shows a heatmap that is not very useful. What am I doing wrong in setting up the heatmap? Thank you
Private File
Private File
Private File
[2024-06-28 14:47:32]
John - SC Support - Posts: 34254
In the example where you have the Inputs showing for the Market Depth Historical Graph, you have the range of data to display to be between 0 and 10% of the Maximum Depth value, and you also have the option for "Color Values Greater Than Highest Value for Coloring". Therefore all values that are greater than 10% of the maximum depth (so 90% of the values) will be colored the "Range 3 Max Color".
For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2024-06-28 16:53:26]
John - SC Support - Posts: 34254
Posted in a different post:
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It seems that to get a good "heatmap" (my goal is to replicate what I see with Bookmap) for a stock symbol, I need to keep adjusting the Max and Min Depth Values and the Percent Color Threshold parameters. Otherwise, I end up with charts that either have intense max colors covering the price line or nearly blank charts with minimal depth data displayed. This method works well for a specific stock ticker with appropriate settings, but it doesn't seem like there's a universal setting that works across all stock tickers.

For futures, I trade fewer than three types of contracts, each with their own setups. However, I monitor at least 20-40 different stock tickers, making it impractical to set up different charts for each one.

Please let me know if there are common settings that I could use for stocks, or if the current extent of customization is the best that can be done with the available settings.

Thank you.

There simply is not a single set of settings that will get what you want. You do have t make changes for each symbol based on how that Market Depth data exists.

The options for "Percent of Maximum Depth" were added a few years ago to try and help with this, but then the problem becomes what the maximum depth value is for that ticker, which can be way outside the norm, and the amount it deviates can be different from symbol to symbol, requiring that you made adjustments.
For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing

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