If you haven’t upgraded to NinjaTrader 8, now is the time. The new platform is faster and packed full of improvements. Now that the production version has been available for some time, DayTradeToWin’s popular trading software (the Atlas Line, Trade Scalper, At the Open, etc.) has been updated for compatibility. Recently, DayTradeToWin.com conducted a webinar explaining all the basic facets of NinjaTrader 8. This includes downloading and installing the platform, installing a data feed, opening charts, configuring charts, installing and applying indicators, the SuperDOM, saving presets, templates, and workspaces, how to back up and restore the platform, and how to correct data issues. I have not seen a webinar this comprehensive in scope. If you’re new to day trading or want to finally make the switch, this is a must-watch.
Let’s go over setting up a chart. First, you need to open a chart from NinjaTrader’s Control Center. Go to New > Chart. The Data Series window will appear. In the top-left, select the market (instrument) you want, e.g. Futures > ES 06-17. The area on the right is now acessible for customization. The settings here are very similar to NinjaTrader 7. Once you’re done configuring, click OK. A chart will appear. On this chart, there’s a row of buttons at the top. Click the one with a mouse pointer and choose the crosshair option. A crosshair will let you accurately measure candle placement. Also, enable Chart Trader, but select the Hidden option. You can combine this feature with an ATM Strategy later. This way, you can see the profit target and stop loss directly on the chart. Note the ability to easily switch time frames, markets, and tabs.
Installing indicators is similar to the NinjaTrader 7 experience. Go to NinjaTrader’s Control Center > Tools > Import > NinjaScript Add-On > navigate to the folder where the indicator .zip exists, click it, then click Open. NinjaTrader 8 takes a little longer to import indicators. A success message should appear. Note that there is no need to open up an indicator file and do anything with its contents. NinjaTrader takes care of all that during the import process. To add an indicator to your chart, right-click the chart > Indicators > find the new indicator in the list and double-click it > click it in the bottom-left panel > adjust settings on the right > click OK. The indicator should then appear. To remove an indicator, use the same Indicators window. Uninstall an indicator by Tools > Remove NinjaScript Assembly.