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Attachments: MT4 navigational tips and techniques
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MT4 navigational tips and techniques

Quoting Halley
{quote} I have been using range bars for years, but I am not experiencing issues you mentioned. It probably depends on the generator, try other vendor.
are u sure about that? cuz i heared its about mt4 not the EA , i used many EAs and indi,s and all have the same issue, could u plz share yours to try and test ?
Guys, is there any keyboard shortcut to change timeframes?

Control+F6 travels through all opened charts. If I could have a shortcut to change to different timeframes - that would be gold!
Quoting deanz
If you want to extend a trendline without changing it's angle, select it, then while holding the SHIFT key, drag one end of it, this also works for moving Fibs sidewards...... and a few other objects. Try it :-) Also if you want to create a completely horizontal trendline, select the trendline, hold the SHIFT key and pull one end of the trendline back towards the other end of the trendlne and then out the other side, Magic..... ha ha. It works on other objects too, like some channels. If you are like me and hate wasting chart space with tool bars,...
Hey deanz I have spent hours searching for a way to draw S&R line that are horizontal ONLY. Lucky for me I stumbled upon your post above "if you want to create a completely horizontal trendline," and now I'm a Happy Chappie....
Thank you so much
The shortcuts I would really like to have are

a) save template

b) save profile

Should be able to save the current template / profile quickly without all that selection of name, too much clicking when doing this regularly

I find that if I don't save the Profile often, if MT4 crashes or is closed then it will reopen with "old" configurations

Anybody seen shortcut keys for those process?

Thanks
If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither one!
Brain Surgery Return This Year: 22.4%
  • Post #1,025
  • Quote
  • Edited Apr 8, 2017 5:32am Apr 7, 2017 10:34pm | Edited Apr 8, 2017 5:32am
Quoting Erebus
The shortcuts I would really like to have are a) save template b) save profile Should be able to save the current template / profile quickly without all that selection of name, too much clicking when doing this regularly I find that if I don't save the Profile often, if MT4 crashes or is closed then it will reopen with "old" configurations Anybody seen shortcut keys for those process? Thanks
Obviously it would be better if MT4 had a full set of "Alt"-accessed-keystrokes for every command. They have some, but not for Profile nor Template.

An example would be: Alt i l t (4 keystrokes). Try it and you'll see it begins drawing a Trendline object.

After hitting "Alt", notice the underlined menu letters! It's very subtle, but they appear! After the "Alt" key, then the menu has "Insert" (underlined "I"). Then at each sub-menu, other letters are underlined ).

However, you can compensate for lack of underlined letters by using the down, left, right, and up arrow keys, and sometimes Tab/Shift/Enter/others, to navigate most menus.

If you get a programmable keyboard/gamepad/mouse, including Logitech G13 gamepad, G600 mouse or other models, G510S keyboard, or several other keyboard models (but with fewer programmable keys), then you can program almost any set of keystrokes.

(These sets of keystrokes are like a "hack". They'll break if MT4 changes menus, but usually they don't. down = Down_Arrow, right = Right_arrow)

To save a Profile: Alt f down down down right down down Enter myProfName Enter Enter (This last Enter (to overwrite) is needed because after the 1st time, the name will already exist).

To save a Template: Alt c down down down down down down down right Enter 000 left Enter (I like name "000". It appears high on the templates list). (The last "left Enter" is to overwrite the template after the 1st time through).

If you walk through the above steps, you'll see how much you can accomplish with sequential keystrokes, then all you need is the keyboard device. (Like G13).

In my experience with Logitech programmable keyboards, a programmed list of back-to-back keystrokes come in too fast, so you might possibly need to insert brief delays here and there, like 10-50 milliseconds. You won't even notice, but it is necessary some times.

Another nice example of using a programmable mouse is to make the "Middle key" easier to access. This is for the MT4 crosshairs, to drag-and-measure a swing. I use it all the time. My mouse has 2 side buttons. The front one is usually "Forward" (in browsers), but I change it to be "Middle mouse key".

(Following is nothing much, but a word of caution)
A side-effect of a Middle-mouse-click, however, is if you do it over the "Charts Bar" (which is the list of charts you have open), it will BLOW AWAY the current one, and it's not even accessible again from the Deleted Charts! (I just figured that one out yesterday, wondering where the heck did some of my charts go. They would disappear in the blink of an eye. I've still no idea how to recover the chart! ).

I have keys to delete objects, edit the properties, make some edits, even to create Elliott wave labels. (Create Text objects and fill in the Description as "1", "2", etc.)

One can do a lot with programmable keyboards/mice/gamepads. I don't know how I would get by without them
Quoting fcaldas
Guys, is there any keyboard shortcut to change timeframes? Control+F6 travels through all opened charts. If I could have a shortcut to change to different timeframes - that would be gold!
Easy!

Here's the single chart method:

While a chart is active, hit the Enter key. Notice that anything you type you will see at the bottom left of the chart.

Type a 1 for an M1 chart. Or, type M1. You are entering the #minutes OR the timeframe name.
Type: 60 or H1
(Above 60, I switch to the timeframe names as below -- case-ignored )
Type: h4 or H4 or 240, Daily or 1440, Weekly or 10080, Monthly or 43200

The NEXT time you hit Enter, notice the previously entered string is completely selected, so you can easily replace it with another value.


If you want to change the timeframe on ALL charts, use the attached (v2) SCRIPT (NOT Indicator): P4L ChangeTF-All charts.mq4
(Note: Requires "Allow DLL imports" be checked). (This is a mod of the original by zznbrm, but has a better use model, which is to change any chart to desired TF, then drop script onto that one to change all others to same TF... OR, as before you can specify a specific "newTF", but this mod now supports #minutes and standard TF names (e.g. 60 H1 M60 ... D D1 or Daily etc.)


If you want to only change SOME charts, but quickly cycle through and pick which ones...

To cycle, you could use Control+F6, but it's the same as Control+Tab. (And Control+Shift+Tab is the reverse order). Take your pick. Then apply the single chart method described above.

However, see my previous post. If you get a Logitech G13, or programmable mouse, or any programmable device, you could create a single key that could do the steps to change the current chart then cycle to the next chart... which you then hit the key until all your charts have changed to the new Timeframe.

One key could have these keystrokes: Enter 5 Control_keydown Tab Control_keyup (Changes to 5 minute and cycles to next chart)

Another key would use 60 for 60 minute charts, etc.

Another key would be just the Control-Tab to cycle to the next chart without changing the current one.

You can create whatever programmed keys to do whatever you like. (But if you always want to change every chart, the script method is far easier).

====
Extra info about what can be typed in to the lower-left text entry on a chart:

I don't recommend the following, but you could type in the Symbol name plus a new timeframe if you wanted to:
EURUSDpro (This is the symbol name my MT4 uses for EURUSD. Use whatever name your MT4 uses).
EURUSDpro,5 (comma, no spaces).

Tip: A far better/easier way to change symbol on an existing chart is just to drag the name from the Market Watch window onto your chart.

Tip: Note, when you change symbols, the existing objects you have don't go away, yet their placement has nothing to do with your new chart. (OTHER than, perhaps, a Vertical line to mark a specific time, then you can change the symbol and see what happened on the other symbol at the same time. This is quite handy actually).
Attached File(s)
File Type: mq4 P4L ChangeTF-All charts.mq4   10 KB | 433 downloads
Quoting pips4life
{quote} Obviously it would be better if MT4 had a full set of "Alt"-accessed-keystrokes for every command. They have some, but not for Profile nor Template. An example would be: Alt i l t (4 keystrokes). Try it and you'll see it begins drawing a Trendline object. After hitting "Alt", notice the underlined menu letters! It's very subtle, but they appear! After the "Alt" key, then the menu has "Insert" (underlined "I"). Then at each sub-menu, other letters are underlined ). However, you can compensate for lack of underlined letters by using the down,...

Thanks for an in depth post about how to do that, seems you are light years ahead of me in that department and I shall be sticking with the old method.

I still click the disc icon in Word and Excel as a habit from 20 years past although I believe it auto saves every 2 minutes or something nowadays

I do use the press mouse wheel to bring up the cross hairs to measure pips or count bars, very handy.

That reminds me, have you every seen a Fibonacci that would display the pips between the 0 and the 100 lines?

I always thought that would be kind of neat.

Thanks again, much appreciated, I will re-read it again now to glean any further nuggets of information
If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither one!
Brain Surgery Return This Year: 22.4%
Quoting Erebus
{quote} Thanks for an in depth post about how to do that, seems you are light years ahead of me in that department and I shall be sticking with the old method. I still click the disc icon in Word and Excel as a habit from 20 years past although I believe it auto saves every 2 minutes or something nowadays I do use the press mouse wheel to bring up the cross hairs to measure pips or count bars, very handy. That reminds me, have you ever seen a Fibonacci that would display the pips between the 0 and the 100 lines? I always thought...
Display pips?

I am light years beyond that too, but using my own private tools, which -- sorry -- are so complex to use I'd be doing tech support forever if I tried to share. It's a big bundle/jumble of stuff too complicated even for me sometimes, but I make good use of it -- or blame the programmer (me) when it breaks. I'm sure I've seen some indicator previously, like swings with #pips marked. It's not "hard", but as with any program, you calculate something easily, then take forever to figure out how to display it in the right spot/size/offset.

#pips = MathAbs( pr1 - pr2 ) / Point; (or "(Point*10.0)" for true pips, not pipettes, for most broker feeds these days).
Quoting fcaldas
Guys, is there any keyboard shortcut to change timeframes? Control+F6 travels through all opened charts. If I could have a shortcut to change to different timeframes - that would be gold!
WOW, how big are your hands? Control+F6 ??

Try hold down Control with left thumb and tap the Tab with index finger

I am assuming that you have say 28 charts open for the main pairs?

If you do a Arrange Windows with the icon shortcut or Alt+R and then Maximize the first chart, the Ctrl+Tab will cycle them in order

And if you have the Metatrader timeframes icon at the far right of toolbars, it's easy to click those to examine each chart

Or there are Buttons available now that appear on the chart so easy to click those to change Pair or Timeframe

check here --> https://www.forexfactory.com/showthr...84#post9188784

On another chart I use these buttons to check for Daily signals on all pairs, no need to change timeframes, see attachment

Good luck

Attached Image (click to enlarge)
Click to Enlarge Name: 2017-04-08_19-51-46.png Size: 93 KB
If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither one!
Brain Surgery Return This Year: 22.4%
Not sure if you're still active @Hanover but may I reproduce on my forum with reference to your post?
flipfloptrader forum
Quoting FlipFlopGC
Not sure if you're still active but may I reproduce on my forum with reference to your post?
Sure, no problem. But if you need to ask permission, I expect it's from Forex Factory, not me.
Hello, hanover.

Do you know the way in which one can jump between the tabs consistently, one by one?

I have multiple charts opened at once, and when I use Ctrl+Tab command MT4 switches between them in chaotic order...
Quoting Botan626
Do you know the way in which one can jump between the tabs consistently, one by one? I have multiple charts opened at once, and when I use Ctrl+Tab command MT4 switches between them in chaotic order...
I'm pretty sure that you can change the sequence in which the tabs appear by dragging them left/right. But beyond this, I don't know any way that you can change the order in which Ctrl+Tab switches between them.
Quoting hanover
{quote} I'm pretty sure that you can change the sequence in which the tabs appear by dragging them left/right. But beyond this, I don't know any way that you can change the order in which Ctrl+Tab switches between them.
Well, yes, sure I can sort the tabs randomly dragging them left/right to the point Ctrl+Tab switches them consistently, but they already put the way I want them to be.

This switching tabs MT4's behaviour really amuses me.
Quoting Botan626
{quote} Well, yes, sure I can sort the tabs randomly dragging them left/right to the point Ctrl+Tab switches them consistently, but they already put the way I want them to be. This switching tabs MT4's behaviour really amuses me.
Try to do the right sequence manually ... then with the Ctrl+Tab ...
MT4/MT5 EAs/Indicators/Alerts coder
Quoting Botan626
Hello, hanover. Do you know the way in which one can jump between the tabs consistently, one by one? I have multiple charts opened at once, and when I use Ctrl+Tab command MT4 switches between them in chaotic order...
Hi Botan626,
Suggest you delete all existing multiple charts until you have one remaining. Then go File, New Chart and open a second chart. Continue the sequence until you have the required number of charts. Now by using the Ctrl+Tab you will cycle through the tabs as you have created them regardless of the order you drag them to.
For an optimum level of zoom that allows to clearly see supports and resistances

AltGr + down arrow

Quoting utuber
{quote} Hi Botan626, Suggest you delete all existing multiple charts until you have one remaining. Then go File, New Chart and open a second chart. Continue the sequence until you have the required number of charts. Now by using the Ctrl+Tab you will cycle through the tabs as you have created them regardless of the order you drag them to.
Oops I tried my idea but it didn't work ha ha . It seems to change each time you start prg.

Sorry
Quoting ekud87
For an optimum level of zoom that allows to clearly see supports and resistances AltGr + down arrow
What is "AltGr" ? Surely not just the "Alt" key, nor is it "Alt" (held or not) and then "G" (or "g") then "r" then a down arrow. None of these work for me (Win10).

However, as always, a simple "+" key does a zoom in, making bars wider, viewing less time.
A simple "-" key does a zoom out.

Are these the same actions as what you are referring to?

P.S. I stumbled upon some other keystrokes: It so happens that holding Ctrl+Alt+down_arrow_key rotates the video 180 degrees, therefore it appears upside down. Assuming one's monitor is oriented normal as expected, I can't think of any good reason to use it, since time would go forward right-to-left. The "left_arrow_key" or "right_arrow_key" are 90 and 270 degree rotations, should one happen to rotate a monitor similarly, to get a taller screen and therefore taller charts, which could be useful, but such a feature is usually built in to rotatable monitors. (The up_arrow_key restores to normal orientation).
Quoting utuber
{quote} Oops I tried my idea but it didn't work ha ha . It seems to change each time you start prg. Sorry
Yeah, tried it too, but had no time to describe the outcome in details. Thank you anyway for the try.
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