Axes and placement

Placement

The user decides where an indicator goes: over the price, or in an area of its own below the chart. The indicator does not choose, but it should say in its description when its values are not prices (a volume, an oscillator), so the user places it in its own area. The series are always drawn in the area of the indicator. Annotations go to the price area unless you set their Area:

annotation.Area = ChartArea;          // the area of the indicator
annotation.Area = ChartAreaRef.Main;  // the price area

The Y axis

AxisY is the Y axis of the area of the indicator. Set its options in OnInit:

public override void OnInit()
{
    AxisY.YSame = true;             // the same distance above and below zero
    AxisY.DecimalPlaceShown = 0;    // whole numbers
    AxisY.FormatAutoNumber = true;  // 1.5K, 2M
}

Option	Meaning
`YSame`	the axis is symmetric around zero
`DecimalPlaceShown`	decimals of the labels
`FormatAutoNumber`	large numbers are abbreviated
`MinimumLimitMode`, `MinimumLimitValue`	a lower limit for the axis
`MaximumLimitMode`, `MaximumLimitValue`	an upper limit
`TopMarginPerc`, `BottomMarginPerc`	empty space above and below the values
`ShowGrid`, `GridColor`, `TextColor`	look of the axis

SetYAxisConstraints sets margins and limits in one call:

SetYAxisConstraints(minimumLimitMode: AxisLimitModeEnum.Fixed, minimumLimitValue: 0);

Only the options an indicator sets are applied: the rest stays as the user has it.

AxisY.Minimum and AxisY.Maximum are calculated by the chart while it draws and are desktop only. AxisY.ViewMinimum and ViewMaximum are the values an indicator can set.

Texts on the chart

Two properties let an indicator speak to the user without drawing anything:

Property	Shown	Set it in
`Description`	next to the name of the indicator	`OnSet`
`StatusMessage`	on the top left of the chart, when the chart has loaded. `null` when there is nothing to say	`OnInit` or `OnLoad`

Description = $"SMA ({Length})";
StatusMessage = VAn.ParamType == ChartResolutionInfo.ParamTypeEnum.Minute ? null : "Meant for time based charts";

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Placement

The Y axis

Texts on the chart

​Placement

​The Y axis

​Texts on the chart

Placement

The Y axis

Texts on the chart