Signal Builder

Signal Builder allows you to create complex scans for trading signals with just a click.

This tool enables you to combine several different conditions with each other without any previous programming experience.

The Signal Builder has two modes:

Signal Builder: Simple mode: allows you to perform basic logical "AND" concatenations. This is a part of the basic trading platform;
Signal Builder: Advanced mode: is available when using the AgenaTrader++ (Andromeda version) platform. Allows more complex combinations such as "AND/OR/XOR" as well as the creation of expressions in brackets. The complexity is comparable to real programming but much more understandable, allowing you to create conditions with just a few clicks.

Simple mode

To access the Signal Builder, select Tools from the main menu followed by the Signal Builder menu item.

Within the Signal Builder window each condition can be defined as a long (signal in the scanner is green-colored) or short (signal in the scanner is red-colored) signal.

You can create a condition for the entry, stop or target. This will determine in which column within the Setup Builder your condition will be shown.

In addition, you may select the priority for your condition. The higher condition ranking means it will display first according to lower-ranking conditions in Analyzer Column.

As overview enhancement it is possible to create a description for each condition and a category. Conditions with a category can be found within the specified category. Conditions without category can be found under "No Category".

Conditions can be customized similarly to the signal indicators. The difference is that various components can be rearranged internally. To create a condition, drag and drop the elements onto the desired pane.

Color Settings

To set color for each feature please activate checkbox.

Name

Meaning

Arrow

Allows to set up color and size of arrow under signal bar (visible when you put condition on a chart)

Bar

Color of signal bar (visible when you put condition on a chart)

Text

Color of text under arrow (visible when you put condition on a chart)

Scanner

Color of signal in Analyzer Column

Example:

Component box

The box at the top left contains the list of components that can be compared with each other:

Data episodes: open, high, low, close, volume
Chart Toolbar: Indicators: includes standard indicators
Programmed indicators: includes indicators which are programmed by users themselves.
Conditions: this is a complex signal combination of different indicators created within the Signal Builder
Programmed conditions: includes your programmed signals
Cumulates Indexes: includes cumulates indexes:
Value: includes values that can be compared with each other
Simple calculation
Advanced calculation

Compare boxes

Using these boxes you can compare (Compare box 1 and Compare box 2) components with each other logically. For example, you can compare the values of an indicator with other values and also combine different components within different time frames. For example, RSI(14) 5 minutes is bigger than RSI(10) 1 minute.

Whether or not these comparisons make sense or create any value depends on the user.

The Operator bar between the Compare box 1 and Compare box 2 displays the following operands:

Logical operator

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

">" greater than

2 > 1 correct

3 > 3 false

"<" smaller than

1 < 2 correct

2 < 1 false

">=" greater than or equal to

2 >= 1 correct

2 >= 2 correct

"<=" smaller than or equal to

1 <= 2 correct

2 <= 1 false

2 <= 2 correct

"==" equal to

2 == 2 correct

2 == 3 false

"!=" not equal to

1 != 2 correct

2 != 2 false

"cr-a": cross above, means that the price crosses the indicator from bottom to top. "cr-b": cross below, means that the price crosses the indicator from top to bottom.

If you select from the operator bar, a numerical input choice will appear. In this cell, define within how many historical periods the comparison must be true. Then confirm the selection by clicking the ENTER button. The image below shows an example of a condition that is true when the closing price in the 5-minute time frame crosses the 5 minute SMA(14) line from bottom to top within the last two periods.

If you select a component from the comparison box, you can use the arrow buttons to shift it up and down. Click the Delete button to remove it from the box.

Parameter box

If you activate a component from the compare box 1 or compare box 2 by left clicking on it, parameter inputs will be displayed within the parameter box. You can change or edit them here.

Time frame section If you enter the explicit time frame for a condition, it will be used permanently for this condition. If you do not select any time frame, then AgenaTrader will use the time frame from the scanner column or a chart, depending on the instrument.

The user can also create a condition that will become active during the specified time period. For example, a condition that would be triggered from 11 am until 4 pm.

The calculation should look as follows:

BarTimeOfDay value signifies the current bar time.

Month Of Year value signifies the current bar month.

In addition, the user can create a condition that will become active during the specified day of week. For example, a condition that would be triggered each Friday.

The calculation should look as follows:

BarDayOfWeek value signifies the current bar day.

Series and output values section Within the series input tab you can choose whether an indicator has multiple lines.

It is also possible to assign one of the following value types to the selected parameter:

Type: Boolean -> might be 'true' or 'false'. Cound be compared only with another boolean value.
Type: DateTime -> Type contains date & time. Might be compared only with another date & time.
Type: Byte -> Number. Integer value (see Wikipedia) in range from 0 to 255. Might be compared with any other number.
Type: Double -> Number. Decimal value. Might be compared with any other number.
Type: Single -> Number. Decimal value. There is a difference between Single and Double in precision. Might be compared with any other number.
Type: SByte -> Number. Integer value in range from -127 to 127. Might be compared with any other number.
Type: Int32 -> Number. Integer value in range from -2147483648 to 2147483647. Might be compared with any other numbe

Verify button This button is used to allow AgenaTrader to verify if the syntax is correct.

Apply or OK buttons Once the Syntax validity has been verified and saved, click OK to close the dialog box.

The result of the condition is one of the following:

True: the comparisons have succeeded;
False: the comparisons have failed.

To save the condition you must enter a name.

Signal Builder simple calculation

The Signal Builder’s simple calculation pad allows you to perform simple calculations for a condition. A simple calculation can be recognized by the “C:” marking within the Signal Builder window.

It is possible to add, subtract, multiply or divide several different operands (indicators, values, data episodes etc.).

Advanced mode

This function is only available with the AgenaTrader Andromeda or higher versions of the trading platform.

Signal Builder advanced calculation

As well as the simple calculation pad you can also use the Signal Builder‘s advanced calculation pad. In addition to the basic operators, the advanced calculation pad allows you to use the module operator "%" for creating more complex expressions.

An advanced calculation can be recognized by the Advanced calculation text within the Signal Builder window.

Please see the Simple calculation video for further information.

Creating conditions in advanced mode

The advanced mode allows you to create AND/OR/XOR conditions with expressions in brackets and logical comparisons. This can be performed by adding the logical operations with a simple click and therefore does not really require any prior programming knowledge.

You will be able to create new conditions or adapt existing conditions from the simple mode.

If you click the advanced button within the simple mode dialog, then the comparison boxes will display the following:

On the right side of the second comparison box you can see the logical link operator with the following options:

The meaning of the logical connectors:

AND -> A and B
OR -> either A or B, or both
XOR -> either A or B, but not both

The first and the second box also display brackets:

The final advanced condition is completely different from the condition created in the simple mode, and could look like the condition in the image below:

However, it still remains to be proven whether this condition makes any sense or not.

Please see the Simple calculation video for further information.

Using conditions

Conditions that you have created yourself can be found:

inside the scanner column (watchlist or list chart group)
within the Setup Builder
on the chart

Scanner column (watchlist or list chart group)

To add a new condition to a scanner column:

Right click within the scanner and select the Edit columns menu item;
Find the condition inside the list, then select it by left clicking;
Click the New button followed by the OK or Apply button.

Once you add the condition to the scanner, AgenaTrader will scan for a signal and will display inside the corresponding column whether the condition is met: