Grid Charts and Grid Chart Templates
Download PDF
Grid Charts and Grid Templates are available for Barchart Plus and Barchart Premier Members.
Grid Charts allow you to partition the chart page in 2 to 6 panes, and display either the same symbol, or different symbols in each pane.
About Grid Charts
Grid Charts have different SYNC settings, which give you maximum control over how they work.
You may also create Grid Templates which can be loaded onto a chart using your predefined settings.
Grids are used when you want to
- load the same chart setup in each pane for different symbols (used in Flipcharts or Dashboard)
- load a different chart setup (usually different intervals) in each pane for the same symbol (used on the Chart page or Dashboard)
- load a different chart setup (interval, bar type, indicators, template) in each pane for different symbols (used in Dashboard only)
Grids and Grid Templates DO NOT save any of the symbols loaded into the grid for future use, nor do they save annotations placed on symbols in the grid. A grid is simply a collection of chart settings that can be applied to any symbol on the site.
How to Access Grids
Look for the ‘1x1’ dropdown menu on the chart. This shows you the available grid configurations, along with the Sync Settings. Sync Settings determine what components of the chart are identical in all panes.
Sync Settings
Sync Settings define what chart settings are applied (or not applied) to each pane. In addition, depending on where you access grids (Flipcharts, the Interactive Chart page, Dashboard) Sync Settings may be pre-set for you (the setting is “grayed out” and unable to be changed.)
Symbol Sync
Symbol Sync checked (ON) means the same symbol will be loaded in each pane. When you change the symbol, it changes it in every pane.
This provides a way to perform a multi-time frame analysis for the same symbol.
In the following example with Symbol Sync ON, you see a 2x2 grid of a Tesla chart, with each pane showing TSLA using a different time frame (intraday 5-minute, daily 6-month, daily 1-year, and weekly 5-year.)
Symbol Sync unchecked (OFF) means that different symbols can be loaded in each pane. This typically is used when you want to view the same chart setup for the different symbols found on a page you are viewing.
Barchart’s Flipcharts are designed to always use grid mode with Symbol Sync OFF. In the following example, a 2x2 grid was opened in Flipcharts. The first 4 symbols in the Flipchart ribbon are loaded into the panes.
Other Sync Settings
The other chart controls that can be synced are
- Interval – when checked (ON) all panes use the same time frame. (ex: Intraday 5-Minute, Daily 6-Month, etc.)
- Indicators – when checked (ON) all panes show new Indicator added. (ex: Moving Average, MACD, etc.)
- Bar Type – when checked (ON) all panes show the same Bar Type selected (candles, OHLC, etc.)
- Template – when checked (ON) all panes will use any template selected.
The “Active” Pane
When you open grids, you’ll notice a slight blue outline on the top left pane. This chart is considered the "active pane." You can always click into a different pane to change the active chart, or you can use your TAB key or SHIFT+TAB keys to move back and forth between frames.
The "active pane" concept is important when you are changing your grid layout, and especially when Sync Settings are OFF.
Grid Templates
Once you set grids up with your preferred settings, you can save this to a Grid Template. This allows you to quickly apply the grid configuration to future charts.
To save a Grid Template
- Set up your grid with all your preferred settings.
- With your grid setup showing, click on the Templates button, then click “Save current chart as a template.”
- Give your template a name. (You know you are saving a grid template by the setting highlighted below.)
- To apply a grid template, click on the Templates button, then click “Show Grid Templates.” Select the desired template and click Apply.
Unlike Chart Templates, Barchart does not have a "Grid Templates" page. You may delete grid templates via the Templates modal directly in the chart panel.
The number of Grid Templates you save counts towards the limits based on your membership. Plus Members can save 10 templates total, Premier Members, unlimited templates.
Examples
Now that we have the basics down, let’s look at some typical use-cases.
Using Grid Charts in Flipcharts
Flipcharts allow you to go into Grid Chart mode. However, they are designed to show multiple charts in the panes, based on the “Flipchart ribbon” shown at the top of the page. Therefore, when you open the grid selector in Flipcharts, you’ll see that ALL the Sync options are grayed out.
Symbol Sync is unchecked (OFF), and all other sync options are checked (ON). This means that whatever grid configuration you open, the Interval, Indicators, Bar Type or Template applied will be used for all panes. Only the Symbol will change.
- With the first chart showing, set the chart the way you want your grids to look. Apply any template, or choose any interval, bar type, indicators or any other chart setting.
- Choose your grid configuration. Here, I choose a 1x2. It pulls the first 2 symbols from the Flipchart ribbon and loads those symbols in the panes.
- For Flipcharts only ... If you add, change or delete any annotation / tool on any of the panes, those tools are SAVED to the chart for when you exit the grid.
- You can save your grid setup as a grid template if you choose to before exiting Flipcharts.
Same Symbol, Different Time Frames
In this example, I will view one symbol in all panes, but with different time frames in each pane. This setup can be performed from the Interactive Chart page, or from Dashboard.
When on the Interactive Chart page, Symbol Sync setting is always checked (ON). This means you can only load one symbol in all panes while on the chart (or the pop out chart).
- Open a chart. The grid is set to 1x1.
- Apply any chart settings on this single chart that you want to carry over to the entire grid - bar type, indicators, etc.
- Open the Grids menu, and with “Interval Sync” unchecked (OFF), select your desired grid configuration. For this example, I will select a 1x2 grid. The 2 panes are currently identical.
- Click on the pane where you want to change the interval. This makes it the “active pane” outlined in blue. (In the Step 3 image, the chart on the left is the active pane.)
- Change the time frame for that pane. Here, I selected 30 minutes for pane 1.
- You may enter any symbol in the Symbol box to switch the grids to a new symbol.
- You can save your grid setup as a grid template if you choose to.
- To exit grid mode, select the 1x1 grid.
IMPORTANT: Take care when dealing with a chart's annotations while in grid mode. You can add/change/delete tools from any pane, but the ONLY pane where tools are actually saved are those on the top left pane position.
Remember, annotations are NOT saved to a grid template.
One Symbol, Different Indicators
In this example, I will view one symbol in all panes, but with different indicators in each pane. This setup can be performed from the Interactive Chart page, or from Dashboard.
- Open a chart. The grid is set to 1x1.
- Apply any chart settings on this single chart that you want to carry over to the entire grid - bar type, time frame, etc.
- Open the Grids menu, and with Symbol Sync checked (ON) and Indicators Sync unchecked (OFF), select your desired grid configuration. For this example, I will select a 1x2 grid.
- The 2 panes are currently identical.
- Click on the pane where you want to change the interval. This makes it the “active pane” outlined in blue. (In the image above, the chart on the left is the active pane.)
- Add any indicators to the pane. Here, I added MACD and two Moving Averages to pane 1, then I clicked on pane 2 to make it the “active pane” and I added RSI.
- You can save your grid setup as a grid template if you choose to.
- To exit grid mode, select the 1x1 grid.
IMPORTANT: Take care when dealing with a chart's annotations while in grid mode. You can add/change/delete tools from any pane, but the ONLY pane where tools are actually saved are those on the top left pane position.
Remember, annotations are NOT saved to a grid template.
Multiple Symbols in Each Pane
In this example, I will place different symbols of my choice in each pane. Besides Flipcharts (where the Flipchart ribbon determines what symbols to load in each pane), this setup can only be performed from Dashboard.
- Open Dashboard. The grid is set to 1x1.
- Apply any chart settings on this single chart that you want to carry over to the entire grid - bar type, template, indicators, time frame.
- Open the Grids menu, and with Symbol Sync unchecked (OFF), select your desired grid configuration. For this example, I will select a 1x2 grid.
- The 2 panes are currently identical.
- Click on the pane where you want to change the symbol. This makes it the “active pane” outlined in blue. (In the image above, the chart on the left is the active pane.)
- Change the symbol. Because Symbol Sync is unchecked (OFF) only the active pane (the one on the left) changes.
- You may also open any of your Dashboard Controllers, such as My Watchlists. Click on any symbol in the list, and this will change the symbol only in the active pane.
- You can continue to click on any symbol shown in your Watchlist (or use your keyboard up/down arrows to move through the list).
- You can save your grid setup as a grid template if you choose to.
- To exit grid mode, select the 1x1 grid.
IMPORTANT: Take care when dealing with a chart's annotations while in grid mode. You can add/change/delete tools from any pane, but the ONLY pane where tools are actually saved are those on the top left pane position.
Remember, annotations are NOT saved to a grid template.
