Getting Started, Opening Charts and Basic Trading
Welcome to Sierra Chart. Sierra Chart is an advanced financial market charting and trading application. This page contains important step-by-step instructions for getting started with Sierra Chart and opening charts. If you only want to read one page, then this should be the page to read.
If Sierra Chart is not already running then press the Start button on your desktop and select Programs >> Sierra Chart >> Sierra Chart to run it. If the Login window displays prompting you for an Account Name and password, then read the Software Login Instructions page for further instructions. When Sierra Chart is started, the main Sierra Chart window will be blank. This is normal since no charts or other windows will be open.
- Connecting to a Data/Trade Service and Opening Charts
- How to Place An Order for Trading
- Need More Help?
- On-line Documentation
- Notes
- Instructional Videos - Be sure to look at these helpful videos.
Connecting to a Data/Trade Service and Opening Charts
Sierra Chart supports many data and trade services. For data and trading service information and to become set up with a supported service please go to the Data/Trade Services Page. Please be sure to follow all the setup instructions for the data or trading service you will be working with.
By Default, Sierra Chart is configured to work with the Sierra Chart Real Time and Historical Forex Data service. Free Trials will have access to this, unless your account requires activation.
Select File >> Connect to Data Feed (F11 key on your keyboard) on the menu to connect to the data feed/trade server if not already connected.
If there is a problem connecting to the data feed, then the Sierra Chart Message Log will display and tell you this. In this case please see help topic # 1. If you successfully connect, then DF: followed by a number will be displayed in the right most status window below the Sierra Chart menu indicating you are connected. Also, if you did successfully connect, then a message will be added to the Sierra Chart message log indicating a successful connection to the server.
Select File >> New/Open Historical Chart on the menu to create or open a Historical chart. Historical charts have a bar period of 1 day and greater. A Historical chart with a period per bar of 1 day, is called a Historical daily chart. All other other historical time frames are built from the historical daily data. Keep in mind that during a free trial, Historical daily data may not be available if the data or trading service you are using does not provide it. The Sierra Chart Historical Data Service does provide Historical daily data, except this service is not included with free trials.
OR, select File >> New/Open Intraday Chart to create or open an intraday chart. Intraday charts can have any bar period. Usually they are less than 1 day, such as being based on Minutes, Seconds, Ticks, Volume or a specified Range. Although you can specify a period per bar of 1 day or greater with these types of charts, it is usually not practical to create long-term Historical charts from intraday data with a 1 day or greater bar period because they will take a longer time to load and usually do not go back far in time.
Data for each symbol is stored in its own file. The filename is the symbol itself. These files are called chart data files. The default file extension for Historical daily data files is dly. The default file extension for intraday data files is scid. Charts are created from these files. You can freely delete and rename these files.
In the New/Open File window, type a new or existing symbol in the Filename text box, then press the Open button. It is not necessary to enter the extension. The symbol needs to follow the format required by the data/trade service. For symbol guides and formats see the Data/Trade Services Page. When you enter a new symbol and press the Open button, data will be downloaded for it, if available, and a new file will be created.
An alternative way of opening a chart is to select File >> Find Symbol and Open Chart on the menu if this command is supported by your data or trading service. Simply select your symbol and press OK/Open. This will open an intraday chart and create a chart file in your Data folder for you.
If you use an unknown or improperly formatted symbol, you will not get a chart and it will be blank. You will receive a message on the chart that says Symbol Is Unknown. If you receive this message or do not get a chart, then please see Help Topic 1.3.
The same data file can be opened more than once. You can open as many charts as you like at the same time. It is possible to select multiple existing symbols in the Open File window to open multiple charts at the same time.
When you open a chart and are connected to the data feed, then data download status will be displayed directly on the chart. In the case of intraday chart data, when the download is complete, then data is stored as trades occur and is accumulated in the file. After 6 months you will have an additional 6 months of data on top of what was initially downloaded. For instructions about accessing more historical intraday data, please see help topic 42. In the case of Historical charts, all available data will be downloaded, up to 32 years. While connected to the data feed, Historical charts are updated in real-time with the current prices.
Select Global Settings >> Data/Trade Settings >> Historical Daily Data Service Settings on the menu. Set the Historical Daily Data Download Time to a time after the market closes for the day session. This time setting is relative to the Time Zone setting in Sierra Chart. Historical charts are also automatically updated when the chart is opened. Click OK and click OK to close these windows.
If you want to download Historical chart data at any time for any reason for a Historical chart, then please refer to Downloading Historical Data. Data is automatically downloaded for Historical charts. Therefore, manually downloading Historical chart data is not normally necessary.
To adjust the chart settings select Chart >> Chart Settings on the menu or press the F5 key. Click OK to close that window. See Chart Settings for more information.
To quickly change the period per bar in a chart: Go to the chart. Type the number. Press the ENTER key on your keyboard. For complete instructions see the Keyboard Commands documentation page. If you wish to change between, for example minutes to a specific volume per bar, then please be sure to read that documentation page on how to do this.
Press the F3 key to display the Chart Values window. Other data windows are available and can be displayed by selecting Window on the menu.
You can right click with your pointer over the chart window to display a menu of commonly used commands. The keyboard shortcuts for those commands will also be displayed.
To change the bar spacing in a chart use the up arrow, down arrow, page up, and page down keys on your keyboard. Or use the < > or > < toolbar buttons.
See the Working With Charts documentation page for additional information on working with a chart.
To display a study like Volume or a Moving Average or put another study on the chart: Select Analysis >> Studies on the menu. Search for Volume in list of Studies Available or whatever study you need. Click on the study name. Press the Add button. Press the Settings button to adjust study settings and Inputs such as the Length of a moving average, colors and draw styles. Press OK. Press OK again to close the Chart Studies window. See the Chart Studies documentation page for complete instructions on using chart studies.
Select File >> Save on the menu. Enter a name for your chartbook. Press the Save button.
Select File >> Close Chartbook on the menu to close all visible charts. Select File >> Open Chartbook to open your charts. Your saved chartbook will also be listed on the File menu for easy selection and opening. See the Chartbooks documentation page for complete information on saving charts and how they are organized.
Select Chart >> General Settings on the menu. Set the Chart Update Interval to the time you require. Using a higher value will reduce CPU usage. However, the chart will update slower. Using a lower value will increase CPU usage. However, the chart will update faster. Press OK when done. This setting does not affect the speed at which data is stored, it is stored tick by tick without any gaps.
To replay an intraday chart, select Chart >> Replay on the menu. Scroll the chart back to where you want to begin the replay, and press Play on the replay window.
The free trial includes Historical Intraday Futures data that you can replay. For more information, see this page.
How to Place An Order for Trading
To place an order for trading, see Basic Trading and the Trade Window.
Need More Help?
If you are having any kind of problem, then see the Help Page.
On-line Documentation
This on-line documentation system is the complete up to date documentation for Sierra Chart.
Pressing F1 in Sierra Chart will display the documentation page associated with the active window.
Each page in this documentation is called a documentation page. Every page is listed on the Table of Contents page.
Notes
Stocks, bonds, futures, options, market indexes, statistics, mutual funds, are referred to as symbols in Sierra Chart.
The time shown on the title bar of the main Sierra Chart window is based upon your computer's clock and adjusted to the Time Zone setting you have specified in Sierra Chart.
This documentation uses the word pointer to refer to the mouse pointer.