General – getting started
The Quantum USDX has been created to provide a more “balanced” view of the US dollar, more representative if you like of the world today. It has a basket of four currencies which are equally weighted, in the same way as with the Quantum JPYX indicator. These are as follows:
- Euro
- British Pound
- Japanese Yen
- Australian dollar
The Quantum USDX indicator displays strength and weakness in the US dollar against this basket of currencies. It can be applied to any chart in any timeframe, and will give you an instant view of the US dollar. Alternatively, why not create a separate workspace with multiple timeframes. Observing the movement of the USDX is essential, as it provides an alternative view of price action in related markets such as gold, oil, and agricultural commodities.
The indicator can be used in one of three ways:
- First, as an inverse indicator to a major currency pair, helping you get in, stay in, and get out
- Second as a confirming indicator for the Quantum Currency Strength Indicator, providing a perspective against other currencies
- Finally, as the ultimate barometer of risk as a safe haven currency as the currency of first reserve
Whichever approach you adopt you will no longer have to leave your NinjaTrader platform for a view of the US dollar! How cool is that!
Installation
Open your NinjaTrader platform and select a chart. We recommend that you choose a fast loading chart such as a spot currency major.
- Right click
This will open the following window
- Left click > Indicators
This will open the following window: (you can also open this window in another way by clicking on the Indicators icon in the NinjaTrader toolbar)
Scroll down to the QuantumUSDX indicator:
- Left click > This will highlight the indicator in blue
- Left click > “New” button as shown above
This will add the QuantumUSDX in the box below as shown here:
Before clicking the OK or Apply button to complete, the indicator can be configured in several different ways to suit your own personal preferences and trading style. You can click the Apply button at any time, and this will apply any changes you have made to the indicator, without closing the window. This will allow you to see the changes you have made, and to modify again before closing with the OK button, or the Close button.
All of the user configuration is done on the right hand side of the above screen, which is shown enlarged below. These are the default settings when you first install the indicator to a chart.
Limitations
Due to the way data is delivered to the platform, the Quantum USDX indicator is limited to work only in time data series charts namely:
- Second,
- Minute,
- Day,
- Week,
- Month, and
- Year
If for some reason you attach the indicator to a chart other than the above data series, the indicator window will appear blank with a message at the bottom right hand corner as shown below:
Simply revert back to any of the supported data series mentioned in the message to restore output.
Parameters
These are the Parameters inputs:
MAPeriod1 – This is the period or length of one of the 2 guiding simple moving averages running across the USDX. It is set to 14 by default and color blue. Though this is the slower moving average of the two, you are free to set this to any timeframe of your choice to suit your personal preferences.
- Place your mouse on the MAPeriod1 label, and left click. This will highlight MAPeriod1 in blue. Left click in the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the value using the back button, and enter a new value.
MAPeriod2 – This is the period or length of one of the 2 guiding simple moving averages running across the USDX. It is set to 7 by default and is initially color magenta. Though this is the faster moving average, again you are free to set this to any timeframe of your choice.
- Place your mouse on the MAPeriod2 label and left click. This will highlight MAPeriod2 in blue. Left click in the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the value using the back button, and enter a new value.
MAPriceType – This is the price type from which the 2 guiding moving averages are calculated. You can either choose OPEN_PRICE, HIGH_PRICE, LOW_PRICE, or CLOSE_PRICE. By default it is set to CLOSE_PRICE.
- Place your mouse on the MAPriceType label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list will appear with the four price types. Click one to choose and set.
Data
These are the Data inputs:
Calculate on bar close – Please do not change this setting and leave as the default of true.
Input series – This shows the timeframe for the indicator and will be displayed according to the chart time. In this case the indicator was attached to a 5 minute time chart. (Please note that the Quantum USDX only works on time charts)
Maximum bars look back – This is the maximum number of bars in the look back for the indicator. We suggest you leave this as the default of TwoHundredFiftySix as it is memory friendly.
Visual
These are the Visual inputs:
Auto Scale – Do not change this setting and leave this as the default of True.
Displacement – Do not change this setting and leave this at the default of 0.
Display in Data Box – We suggest you leave this at the default of True.
Label – This is the label which will display on the chart once the indicator is attached. You can remove this if you wish as follows:
- Place your mouse on the Label label, and left click. This will highlight Label in blue. Left click in the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the text using the back button and when you apply the indicator, the text will no longer be displayed.
Panel – this specifies the panel number where the indicator will appear. We suggest you leave this as the default of New panel.
Price Marker(s) – Please do not alter this setting and leave as the default of True.
Scale Justification – Please do not alter this setting and leave as the default of Right.
Plots
This is where you can change the color of the candlesticks as well as the color and width of the 2 moving averages.
Down color – This is the color of the bearish candlesticks. This is set to red by default.
- To change color, place your mouse on the Down color label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list of colors will appear under it. Click your desired color to choose and set.
Up color – This is the color of the bullish candlesticks. This is set to lime by default.
- To change color, place your mouse on the Up color label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list of colors will appear under it. Click your desired color to choose and set.
Shadow color – This is the color of the candlestick wicks or shadows (showing the high and low). This is set to Black by default.
- To change color, place you mouse on the Shadow color label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list of colors will appear under it. Click your desired color to choose and set.
Shadow width – This is the thickness of the candlestick wicks or shadows (showing the high and low). This is set to 1 by default.
- T0 change this setting, place your mouse on the Shadow width label, and left click. This will highlight Shadow width in blue. Left click in the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the value using the back button, and enter a new value.
MA1 color – This is the color of one of the two guiding simple moving averages which is initially the slower MA. This is set to dodger blue by default.
- To change this setting, place your mouse on the MA1 color label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list of colors will appear under it. Click your desired color to choose and set.
MA1 width – This is the thickness of the first simple moving average. This is set to 1 by default.
- To change this setting, place your mouse on the MA1 width label, and left click. This will highlight MA1 width in blue. Left click in the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the value using the back button, and enter a new value.
MA2 color – This is the color of one of the two guiding simple moving averages which is initially the faster MA. This is set to Magenta by default.
- To change this setting, place your mouse on the MA2 color label and left click. Notice that a drop down arrow will appear at the right hand side of the value field. Proceed to click it and a list of colors will appear under it. Click your desired color to choose and set.
MA2 width – This is the thickness of the second simple moving average. This is set to 2 by default.
- To change this setting, place your mouse on the MA2 width label, and left click. This will highlight the MA2 width in blue. Left click the value field alongside and your cursor will appear. Delete the value using the back button, and enter a new value.
Resizing the indicator
When you first apply the Quantum USDX indicator to the chart the indicator window may need resizing, and below is an example of how the indicator may look with no option changes applied and the default white background of a NinjaTrader chart.
In order to resize the indicator to the maximum height, hover over the horizontal line which separates the chart from the indicator, and you will see a small icon displayed of a solid black line with an arrow above and below. Once this appears, then left click HOLD and drag to resize the indicator window. Your Quantum USDX indicator will then look like this:
Removing an indicator
These are the steps to remove an indicator from a chart:
Right click on the chart and then left click on Indicators from the pop up menu. Scroll down to the indicator you wish to remove and left click which will turn the indicator blue. This will then display the indicator window with its settings as shown below:
Simply left click on the Remove button as shown above, and the indicator will disappear from the list of indicators on the chart. To confirm left click the OK button to confirm and close the window.
