Drawing and Annotating Charts

TrendSpider makes it easy to add drawings and annotations to any chart, as well as share the chart with others.

You can add a drawing using the annotations toolbar on the left-side of the screen. You can remove a drawing, create an alert or edit the drawing’s properties, and add custom color preferences (Color Preference Selector) by right-clicking on the drawing and making the appropriate selection. If you'd like to disable magnet mode, hold down the Alt key while drawing the trend line and it will not snap to prices.

You can also quickly clone or drag annotations to speed up your analysis:

• Clone any annotation by right-clicking on the annotation and selecting "Clone this annotation". Alternative: hold Ctrl key and drag the annotation.
• Remove any annotation by right-clicking on the annotation and selecting "Remove this annotation". Alternative: hold Shift key and click on the annotation.
• Drag any trend line or Fibonacci sequence by simply clicking on it and moving it.

Customizing Annotations

Any time you customize properties of an annotation (say, make a Segment being red), the system will memorize that and from now on all the Segments you create will inherit the "last used" value for its parameters.

Also, one can (create custom annotations).

Annotation visibility: Time Frames

By default, all the annotations are visible on a time frame where you have created them + on all the time frames below it. You can change that by right-clicking on an annotation, then selecting Properties and adjusting the Visible On parameter.

In order for an annotation or drawing to show on all timeframes, both endpoints must be located within the price action.  Any endpoint being placed beyond price action will result in that drawing/annotation not being visible on alternative timeframes.

Annotation visibility: Workspaces

Also, by default, all the annotations are visible in all of your workspaces. One can change that to "visible on the original workspace only" (aka "workspace where it had been created"). You can change that by right-clicking on an annotation, then selecting Properties and adjusting the Display in all workspaces checkbox.

• When "Display in all workspaces” checked on: This is the default option. In this case, this annotation is available on all of the workspaces of yours. You can adjust or remove it from anywhere.
• When "Display in all workspaces” checked off: In this case, the annotation will only be visible and available on the workspace where it had been created.

When you change "Display in all workspaces" from True to False or vice versa, here’s what happens:

1. If set to True (aka checked on): annotation becomes available in all of your workspaces.
2. If set to False (aka checked off): annotation becomes available in the current workspace only (the one where you’ve just changed the option).

Special case: creating an alert on a ray forces this checkbox to get selected. Rays which have alerts must be visible in all the workspaces.

Just like any other annotation property, this flag is being inherited by annotations (see the Customizing Annotations paragraph above). I.e., in case if you edit a Rectangle and uncheck this flag, then the following is going to happen:

1. A given annotation will now belong to your current workspace (the one where you've adjusted the option).
2. No other existing Rectangles of yours will be impacted.
3. All the Rectangles painted from now on will belong to a workspace where they are being painted.

Important note: Any time you remove annotations en masse (like "remove all figures on AAPL” or "remove all figures of type X”), you will remove "figures of this workspace” AND "figures shared across all the workspaces” which satisfy the criteria (i.e., "belong to AAPL” e.t.c.)

Annotations supported

Trend Lines (aka Rays)

Trend lines connect a series of highs or a series of lows on a chart to illustrate support levels, resistance levels, price channels or price trends.
You can create a trend line in a few easy steps:

1. Select Trend Line from the sidebar or press Alt+R.
2. Click on the starting point of the trend on the chart.
3. Click on the ending point of the trend on the chart.

A line will be drawn connecting the two points and it will continue to move out into the future.

Segment Lines

Segment lines are similar to trend lines, in that they show support or resistance levels, but they do not continue into the future.
You can create a segment line in a few easy steps:

1. Select Segment Line from the sidebar or press Alt+L.
2. Click on the starting point of the trend on the chart.
3. Click on the ending point of the trend on the chart.
4. Optionally, drag segment lines around by clicking on the line and dragging the circles.

Ruler Line

Ruler lines automatically add an error, change percentage, and time frame for the length of the measured area or trend line.
You can create a ruler line in a few steps:

1. Select Ruler Line from the sidebar or press Alt+M.
2. Click on the starting point of the trend on the chart.
3. Click on the ending point of the trend on the chart.

Horizontal Lines

Horizontal lines project a given price level out into the future to show potential areas of support or resistance. For example, you may create a horizontal line at the beginning of a gap to identify a price target for the gap to be filled.
You can create a horizontal line in just a couple of steps:

1. Select Horizontal Line from the sidebar or press Alt+H.
2. Click on the point at which the horizontal line should be drawn.
3. Optionally, drag the horizontal line to move it on the chart.

You can also specify an exact price, add a custom label or make other modifications by right-clicking on the horizontal line and selecting Properties... or by double-clicking on it.

Vertical Lines

Vertical lines project a given point in time to show when specific events occurred. For example, you may create a vertical line to illustrate when an earnings date occurred to see what has happened since then.
You can create a vertical line in a couple of steps:

1. Select Vertical Line from the sidebar or press Alt+V.
2. Click on the point at which the vertical line should be drawn.
3. Optionally, drag the vertical line to move it on the chart.

Interaction Lines

Interaction lines are similar to vertical lines, but they add a circle to highlight intersections with any indicators or trend lines that are active on the chart.
You can create interaction lines just like you would a vertical line:

1. Select Interaction Line from the sidebar or press Alt+I.
2. Click on the point at which the interaction line should be drawn.
3. Optionally, drag the interaction line to move it on the chart.

Arrows

Arrows are helpful for showing entry and exit points since they illustrate both a point in time and a direction.
You can create arrows in a couple of steps:

1. Select Arrow from the sidebar or press Alt+A.
2. Click on the point at which the arrow should be drawn and move the cursor to position it up or down.
3. Optionally, drag the arrow to move it on the chart.

Rectangles

Rectangles are helpful for showing where something happened, such as highlighting a chart pattern.
You can create rectangles in a few easy steps:

1. Select Rectangle from the sidebar or press Alt+S.
2. Click on the point at which the rectangle should start and drag the cursor to the endpoint before releasing it.
3. Optionally, drag the rectangle to move it on the chart or resize it by clicking on the circle toggles.

Area Highlight

Area highlights add an arrow, change percentage, and time frame to the standard rectangle to make it easier to see price dynamics over a range.
You can create area highlights just like a rectangle:

1. Select Area Highlight from the sidebar or press Alt+E.
2. Click on the point at which the area highlight should start and drag the cursor to the endpoint before releasing it.
3. Optionally, drag the area highlight to move it on the chart or resize it by clicking on the circle toggles.

Circle

Circles are similar to rectangles, but provide an alternative way to illustrate where something happened.
You can create a circle using a similar set of steps:

1. Select Circle from the sidebar or press Alt+C.
2. Click on where the center of the circle should be and release the cursor where the outside radius should be.
3. Optionally, drag the circle to move it on the chart or resize it by clicking on the circle toggles.

Text

Text is helpful for providing context for chart patterns or other drawings.
You can add text a few easy steps:

1. Select Text from the sidebar or press Alt+T.
2. Click on where the text should appear.
3. Write the text message in the pop-up box.
4. Configure any other properties and then click Done.
5. Optionally, move the text around on the chart.

Fib Sequence

Fibonacci sequences are a great way to identify potential areas of support and resistance using the so-called golden ratio.
You can add a Fibonacci sequence in a couple of steps:

1. Select Fib Sequence from the sidebar or press Alt+F.
2. Click on the starting point of the Fibonacci pattern (e.g. a high).
3. Click on the ending point of the Fibonacci pattern (e.g. a low).
4. Optionally, move the Fib Sequence around on the chart or resize it.

The 3-Point Fibonacci extends the functionality to measure a move in two directions before drawing the Fibonacci line.

Note: You can toggle the colored section of the Fibonacci tool on and off by right-clicking any Fibonacci drawing and then selecting Properties. This will bring up the Fibonacci Sequence menu where you can toggle the "Fill Mid" option.

Position

The Position tool makes it easy to visually specify an entry point, price target, and stop-loss along with the exact price points and performance.

You can create a profit-loss visualization in a few steps:

1. Select Position from the sidebar or press Alt+P.
2. Click near the starting point of the measurement.
3. Drag the Entry Point toggle to the exact entry point.
4. Optionally, move the second Entry Point toggle to the exit time.
5. Drag the Profit Target to the desired take-profit point.
6. Drag the Stop Level to the desired stop-loss point.

Measurements

Measurements provide an easy way to measure price change over a period of time. While it’s not a permanent annotation, it can be helpful for showing the profitability of a trade.

You can make a measurement in a few steps:

1. Select Measurement from the sidebar or press Alt+M.
2. Click on the starting point of the measurement.
3. Drag the cursor to see the change over a given period of time.

Poly Lines

Poly Lines make it easy to draw several connected trend lines and build more complex chart patterns.

You can make a polyline in a few steps:

1. Select Poly Line from the sidebar or press Alt+W.
2. Click on the starting point of the polyline.
3. Click to create each trend line segment.
4. Double-click or press Enter to end the polyline.

Note: The Poly Line includes a smoothing function that you can customize in the indicator preferences. To add an arrow to the end of the poly line, right-click on the figure and select “Properties”, and click the “Arrow” checkbox.

Volume by Price

Volume by Price Lines makes it easy to see what prices drew the most volume over a period of time.

You can draw a volume by price line in a few steps:

1. Select Volume by Price from the sidebar or press Alt+B.
2. Click on the point where you'd like to start measuring volume.
3. Click on the endpoint where you'd like to stop measuring volume.

Note: The Volume by Price Line also shows the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) and point of control (PoC) where the heaviest volume occurred.