Change In Slope Solver

The Change In Slope solver determines if the slope of an indicator is continuing to increase, starting to decrease, or reversing.

This solver is useful for detecting when an oscillator or moving average is starting to roll over and reverse direction. For example, when the Stochastic is rising, the closer it gets to 100, the rising slope will begin to flatten out or roll over before it reverses down. The video below will explain in more detail.

BloodHound v2

This section is specific to BloodHound v2. Scroll down for BloodHound v1.

Properties tab

This tab contains the essential settings for all nodes.

Modifiers

Click to see documentation

This section provides quick access to commonly used output modifiers.
Please note: The buttons only modify the individual instance of the selected node(s) on a Logic Board. Thus, the buttons are only visible when a node is selected on the Logic Board. The buttons are not available when a solver is selected in the Solvers panel, because the original solver's output can not be globally modified.
This behavior is consistent with adding a function node afterwards, so that the original solver's output remains unmodified elsewhere in the system. It is similar to having an SMA(50) on several charts. Changing the plot color on one chart does not modify the plot color on the other charts.

Enable button

Invert button

Swap button

Global Properties

These setting apply to all instances of the selected solver. Changing a setting in one of the instances changes the setting in all instances. If you only want to change one of the solvers, but not the others, you must make a copy of the solver. The copy will be a different solver, and a number will be added at the end of the name to differentiate it from the original.

Behavior

This option determines which outputs are calculated. Effectively turning off either the Long or Short output.

Evaluate

Input

This section determines what kind of data the solver will evaluate. Use the Type drop-down menu to select the data type.
The menu will change based on which data type is selected. Click on Type to see the various data types available and the corresponding documentation.

Click to see the Input » Type documentation

The Input section determines the data type to be evaluated. Use the 'Type' menu to select the data type. See below for detailed information on each data type.

Type: Fixed Value

Fixed Value

Fixed Value allows you to specify a single value that never changes, similar to the Threshold solver. This may be useful for instance when you require a fixed level or value to compare against, such as with the Comparison solver.
For example, detecting low volume bars. If 100 shares or less per bar is considered low volume, then 100 would be the fixed value to compare against Volume.
Note: Using Fixed Value does not make sense for solvers that only have one input. Such as the Inflection, Slope, Change In Slope, etc. solvers.

Type: Price

This option allows price data to be used in the solver. The price data can be shaped/manipulated by the various settings before it is used by the solver.

Custom Prices
SharkIndicators has custom system development prices that are very useful in reducing the number of solvers, and simplifying system logic, when evaluating the open and close (body) prices.
Body Top: Regardless of the bar direction, this returns the upper price of the candlestick body. Either the close or open price. Whichever is on top. e.g. For an up bar, the Body Top equals the close price.
Body Median: This returns the median price of the candlestick body. The formula is (Close + Open) ÷ 2.
Body Bottom: Regardless of the bar direction, this returns the lower price of the candlestick body. Either the close or open price. Whichever is the bottom. e.g. For an up bar, the Body Bottom equals the open price.

Price Type Long

Price Type Short

Lookback Period

Long Lookback Processing

Select how to process the price data in the Lookback Period. This process is used for calculating the Long output only.

Single Value: This returns the price from a historical bar referenced by the Lookback Period. No data processing is done. This makes the Lookback Period behave just like the Displacement parameter.

Average Values: This mode returns the average of the Price Type Long prices within the Lookback Period.

Max Values: This mode returns the highest selected price within the Lookback Period. It searches the Lookback Period historical bars and returns the highest value found. I.E. This is used when you want to use the highest High price of the previous 10 bars by setting Price Type Long = High and Lookback Period = 10.

Min Values: This mode returns the lowest selected price within the Lookback Period. It searches the Lookback Period historical bars and returns the lowest value found. I.E. This is used when you want to use the lowest High price of the previous 10 bars by setting Price Type Long = High and Lookback Period = 10.

Short Lookback Processing

Select how to process the price data in the Lookback Period. This process is used for calculating the short output only.

Average Values: This mode returns the average of the Price Type Short prices within the Lookback Period.

Max Values: This mode returns the highest selected price within the Lookback Period. It searches the Lookback Period historical bars and returns the highest value found. I.E. This is used when you want to use the highest Low price of the previous 10 bars by setting Price Type Short = Low and Lookback Period = 10.

Min Values: This mode returns the lowest selected price within the Lookback Period. It searches the Lookback Period historical bars and returns the lowest value found. I.E. This is used when you want to use the lowest Low price of the previous 10 bars by setting Price Type Short = Low and Lookback Period = 10.

Type: Volume

Volume will feed the current bar volume into the solver.
To evaluate the volume from a few bars back, use Indicator Value. Then select the VOL indicator, and use the Displacement setting.

Type: Indicator Value

Indicator

This is the default setting and most commonly used Input type. This allows the selection of any installed indicator that has one or more of the following output types; a Plot or Series<T>. A Plot is the plotted line or bar seen on the chart (e.g. the SMA line, RSI line, Volume bars, etc.), which always has a numeric value seen on the right or left edges of the chart. A Series<T> is not visible on a chart, but contains data like a plot and is readable by BloodHound. A Series<T> can contain the indicator’s main value, extra sub-data, or sometimes a signal of some kind. Note: Some NinjaTrader indicators are Not readable, per their design.
Tip: A signal value is typically +1, 0, or -1.
Technical note for programmers: BloodHound can read Series<T> data types Bool, Int, Double, and Long.

Select Indicator window

Clicking on the ellipsis button (to the right of the indicator) opens the Select Indicator window. This window is used to;
1) Select the indicator
2) Set the indicator properties
3) Select the Plot or Output you want the solver to analyze.

Search box: Typing the first three letters of an indicator will create a shorter filtered list of indicators to quickly find the indicator you are looking for.

Refresh Indicator List button: This button is only used once after a new indicator has been installed. It initiates rebuilding an updated list of indicators. If the newly installed indicator does not listed, please see the next section below. Also, a menu item to perform this same task has been added to the NinjaTrader Control Center » Help menu » SharkIndicators menu.

Add New button: Instead of double clicking on an indicator to add it, this button can be used.

Nest Input button: This provides a way to feed the output of one indicator in to the input of another indicator (e.g. Smoothing the CCI by nesting/feeding it in to the SMA indicator). Watch this video for more info on the process... How to Perform Indicator Nesting Within a Solver

Remove button: Use this to remove nested indicator from the list (in the bottom area).

Indicators Missing From the List
If an indicator is missing from the Select Indicator window, that means the indicator does not have a readable output or may have thrown an error when building the list. Or, the indicator may only draw information on the chart using custom graphics routines which are not readable.
In order for BloodHound to read 3rd party indicators the developer must follow NinjaTrader’s Best Practices for 3rd Party Developers > Expose Indicator States. This video will help you determine if your favorite 3rd party indicator has an output that is readable… How to analyze custom indicators in BloodHound.

Displacement

The Displacement parameter works the same way as the NinjaTrader Displacement parameter. It is used to analyze indicator values from previous bars back. On the chart, the Displacement moves the indicator plot forward X number of bars on to the current bar. Essentially, the same is occurring internally. the indicator value X number of bars back is moved forward on to the current bar. The Displacement operates on the chart/time-frame the solver is set to.
e.g. Setting Displacement to 5 will have the solver use the indicator value from the 5th bar back. In effect, this shifts the indicator plot from 5 bars back to the current bar.
i.e. Suppose you want to analyze an indicator’s value 5 bars ago. Set the Displacement value to 5 and the solver will always use indicator data that is 5 bars in the past.

Type: Swing Point Prices

Swing Point Prices uses the Swing Highs & Lows indicator plots for input price data. This is useful when you need to access the lowest low or highest high prices from the latest swing point.
You can add the bundled indicator Swing Highs & Lows to the chart to help you visualize the price data the solver is using.

Number of Swings

Swing type

Swing strength

Double Top/Bottom strength

Use Close prices

Long: Bottoms or Tops

Long: Widest or Tightest

Short: Bottoms or Tops

Short: Widest or Tightest

Type: Linear Regression Channel

Output

Strong In Direction

In Direction But Turning

In Direction But Greatly Turning

Opposite Direction But Greatly Turning

#4) Sets the solver’s Short output value when the Indicator’s slope is rising and the rising slope starts to decrease(or flatten) for a second bar or more, when compared to the previous bar slope. Sets the Long output value when the slope is falling and the falling slope starts to increase (or flatten) for a second bar or more, when compared to the previous bar slope. This sets the opposite output for In Direction But Greatly Turning condition.

Opposite Direction But Turning

#5) Sets the solver’s Short output value when the Indicator’s slope is rising and the rising slope starts to decrease(or flatten), when compared to the previous bar slope. Sets the Long output value when the slope is falling and the falling slope starts to increase (or flatten), when compared to the previous bar slope. This sets the opposite output for In Direction But Turning condition.

Strong In Opposite Direction

#6) Sets the solver’s Short output value when the Indicator’s slope is rising and the rising slope is increasing in the upward direction, in comparison to the previous bar slope. Sets the Long output value when the slope is falling and and the falling slope is increasing in the downward direction. in comparison to the previous bar slope. This sets the opposite output for Strong In Direction condition.

Options tab

This tab contains extra secondary settings common to all nodes.

Weight

Click to see the Weight documentation

This section is used to modify the node's final output value. It is only useful for designing fuzzy logic systems, or a fuzzy logic section of a system.
Please note: The Weight controls only modify the individual instance of the selected node(s) on a Logic Board. Thus, the Weight controls are only visible when a node is selected on the Logic Board. The controls are not available when a solver is selected in the Solvers panel, because the original solver's output can not be globally modified.
This behavior is different than BloodHound 1.0. In BH 1.0, the Weight controls modified the nodes output globally (every instance). This change in BH 2.0 adds more system design granularity.

Multiply Output: This takes the internal values (the Long and Short values determined via the Properties tab » Output Rules section) and multiplies them by this value. Note: the final output will not exceed a value of 1, as described in the Slider control below.

Slider control: The slider constrains the final output to a value of 0 to 1. The left side of the slider sets a minimum value that is output regardless if the solver condition is true or not. The right side sets a maximum value that is output. The output is capped.
e.g. Three indicator conditions are being checked, and thus three solvers are created. Only two out of the three indicator conditions are needed. An Additive logic node is used to add the solver's outputs together. Just two out of the three solvers need to add up to a value of 1. Therefore, the right slider (max output value) for all three solvers is set to 0.5. When two indicator/solver conditions are found, thus the outputs = 0.5, then the calculation, in the Additive node, is 0.5 + 0.5 + 0 = 1. A value of 1 means the two out of three condition is true.

Hedge Operation: This applies a mathematical formula to the internal value.

None: No modification is applied.
Very (square output): A squaring formula is applied. Output = value^² .
Somewhat (square root output): A square root formula is applied. Output = √value .

Description

This text area provides a place to write a full description of what the node is doing, used for, or what ever you want.
Note: The Description is global to all instances of the node. It is not applied individually to each instance as the Weight controls are.

Help tab

This tab displays the documentation page (from this web site) of the selected node.
Please note: NinjaTrader v8.0.26.0 or newer is required for the built in web viewer to work, and thus the documentation to be displayed.

Video Tutorial

For more benefit please watch in full screen mode, as this video is recorded in HD.

Examples

The screenshots below show BloodHound v1, however the settings and usage are still the same.

Example 1: The Basics

This demonstrates the basic function of Indicator Change In Slope solver with the use of the Stochastic D. This Solver will be used to measure strength in the Stochastic D by comparing the current slope to the previous bar’s slope. When the slope continues to increase in the same direction it is considered Strong In Direction. If the slope begins to decreases in rate the first bar is considered In Direction But Turning. Any bar afterwards is considered In Direction But Greatly Turning until the slope reverses direction.

Add the Indicator Change In Slope solver.

The chart below has a multi colored Stochastic D overlaid on price, and an indicator representing the slope of the Stochastic D. Notice how the Solver output of 1 coincides with the continuous slope increase whether it is to the down side or up side. And, when the slope rate decreases the output decreases until the slope reverses.

Example 2: Cycle Warning

This example checks the slope condition of the HMA and the Stochastic D cycle position to create a warning condition. The Indicator Change In Slope solver checks the HMA for a possible reverse in direction. As a filter, the Indicator Threshold solver will check the Stochastic D for an over sold or over bought condition.

Add the Indicator Change In Slope solver.
Set the Indicator to HMA 17 period.
Set Output 1), 2), & 3) to 0
Set Output 4) to 1
Set Output 5) to 0.5

Add the Indicator Threshold solver.
Set the Indicator to Stochastic using the default settings
Set Thresholds to the following: A = 80, B = 80, C = 50, D = 20 & E = 20
Set Long Output At E to 1
Set Short Output At A to 1

The chart below has a multi colored Stochastic D overlaid on price with 20 & 80 gray dashed lines, and a white HMA 17 period. Notice how a warning signal only occurs when the Stochastic reaches an extreme condition, and the chop in the middle of the chart is ignored.

BloodHound v1

This section is specific to BloodHound v1. Scroll up for BloodHound v2.

Indicator Change In Slope

Video Tutorial

This video is from our weekly Workshop on April 4th, 2015.
For more benefit please watch in full screen mode, as this video is recorded in HD.

Examples

Example 1: The Basics

Add the Indicator Change In Slope solver.

Example 2: Cycle Warning

Add the Indicator Change In Slope solver.
Set the Indicator to HMA 17 period.
Set Output 1), 2), & 3) to 0
Set Output 4) to 1
Set Output 5) to 0.5

Add the Indicator Threshold solver.
Set the Indicator to Stochastic using the default settings
Set Thresholds to the following: A = 80, B = 80, C = 50, D = 20 & E = 20
Set Long Output At E to 1
Set Short Output At A to 1

General

BloodHound

BlackBird

Other Indicators

Change In Slope Solver

BloodHound v2

Properties tab

Properties tab

Output Modifiers