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FCharts2 by Spacejock Software
WinXP or later, Mono 2.4 or later
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FCharts2 is the upcoming version of FCharts SE and Pro
FCharts 1.0 was released in 2000/2001. In the past ten years the program has grown into an amazing application which fills just about every trader's or investor's needs. So why does the world need FCharts 2?
Picture a nice little two bedroom cottage on a 2000 sq/m block. Now imagine it's been extended and renovated into a two-storey house with a theatre room, three-car garage, games room, granny flat, etc, etc. It's all very nice, but eventually the wiring, the plumbing, and all those new bits and pieces get to a stage where you can't really add anything else without wiping the slate and starting from scratch.
That's what FCharts 2 is - a complete rewrite of FCharts Pro from the ground up, incorporating all the knowledge and experience I've developed over 10-12 years working on my code. For example, FCharts Pro 1.x is limited to 20 watchlists, 10 custom indexes, 100 user defined indicators and so on while FCharts 2 has none of these limits - you can have as many as you want.
FCharts2 features a new database engine, a refreshed user interface, and multi-threaded indicators which make better use of multi-core CPUs. However, the program will still run on modest hardware.
The screenshots (below) will be updated regularly so you can see how it's progressing, but you should note that FCharts 2 is a long-term project and there is no deadline.
All FCharts Pro 1.x users will receive FCharts 2 Pro for free, so there's no need to delay your purchase until the new software is released. In fact, after purchashing FCharts 1 you're welcome to download and install the latest alpha test version of FCharts 2 - just email me for the link.
Some of the many differences between FCharts 2 and FCharts 1.x
• The biggest change is the switch to a multiple document interface (MDI), which means every chart is now independent. They can be docked/tiled/cascaded in the main window, and you can display as many as you want.
• Each chart window can contain up to 7 linked charts stacked one above the other (like FCharts 1 does now) - price charts, indicators, UDI, etc, etc
• Each window can also contain just a full size chart and nothing else.
• Each window can have its own ticker, price span and frequency, DIFFERENT 1/2/3/4 formulae (even on the same company data), can be intraday or EOD, weekly, monthly, etc
• Each window also has its own watchlist so one window can have all ASX200 tickers while another is displaying favourites.
• Formula 1/2 and 3/4 entry boxes can be shown or hidden individually. You can also hide the status bar, and the scrollbar will only show when you're zoomed in.
• There's now a 'start date' and 'end date' bar which can be used to chart between the specified dates. The bar can be
hidden.
• You can create Layouts using the toolbar, and easily switch between them. E.g. switch from a 9 month daily price chart with EMA1 to 3 overlaid, to a 5 year candlestick chart with Parabolic SAR ... all with one click of the mouse.
• Display precision of up to six decimal places.
• Each sub-window is like duplicate of what the FCharts 1.x main screen looks like now, so it's a bit like being able to run 5-20 copies of the program at the same time.
• I'm also working out how to pick one of the chart windows and save the layout to disk under a user-defined name (e.g. 'Monthly OHLC with CCI'), which means you could then pick any other chart window and apply that layout to it, making everything bar the ticker the same as the source window. These layouts would be unlimited, and would hopefully be easily accessible so you could display the list and double-click one to apply the settings to the focused chart window.
• I've moved from having set formulae for condition1/2/3/4, UDIs, scanner and trade tester, and have now written a formula library which keeps them all in one place in the program. This library will be accessible from anywhere you need a formula. I'm also intending to save formulae with each chart window, so if you read in the layout from another window you get the formulae as well.
• The portfolio is being reworked, and now supports entry of dividend payments with franked, unfranked amounts, withholding tax and so on. There's also improved reporting, including the ability to print off all dividends and transactions between given dates.
• The other thing I've done is to split the prices folder up - it's now EOD and Intraday. (Not to mention the new ascii-based XML price data files, which means you can open and edit them manually if you want, or use the data in other apps.)
Below are screenshots from recent builds of the software, with the most recent at the top:
Aug 26, 2010:
Most recent screenshot. I've been using FCharts2 myself for months now.
Dec 13, 2009:
Shows the (1) and (2) markers, volume bars, etc
Sept 30, 2009:
This pic shows several of the new toolbars, including the first & last bar date picker, the line drawing toolbar (work in progress), and the new layout system at the top of the left-hand chart. (You can create, pick, save and rename chart layouts.)
June 12, 2009, different formula pairs in every window:
FCharts 2 will now allow you to alternate condition 1 and 2 indicators, or
just mark everything. (The SGP chart in this screenshot shows what I mean - you still can't have condition 1 and 2 on the same day but that's easily done - in fact, it's a quick change to the chart drawing routine.)
June 10, 2009, running on 64-bit Windows 7 RC1:
I booted into Windows 7 64-bit RC1 and ran 32-bit FCharts2 Pro with a few different settings. Works fine, as expected. If there's any demand further down the track I could also generate 64-bit binaries.
June 9, 2009:
After almost two years of programming, these are the last few items left to do: (In no particular order)
User-reported items (some duplicated below)
No chart on initial startup with empty database (need to click Window - New)
'Program Settings' - 'Show Price at mouse position' doesn't seem to get saved i.e. it remains ticked once program is started.
FC2 doesn't seem to show candlestick names.
Height of the lower chart window couldn't be saved.
Volume bar colours can't be changed.
Main chart window displays last close price in the database. Not sure why. It is there on the info panel.
Program title bar displays [ASX: TICKERNAME - 5 Months - Daily bars....] How to change ASX into some other Exchange?
Candlestick centreline is not displayed.
High Priority
Major: Most things on the Trade Tester screen don't work yet
Major: Display current values & periods for all indicator charts
Major: Won't display anything but one minute intraday prices
Major: Horizontal FIB lines
Major: P&F Charts
Minor: Drawing of arcs not coded yet (almost done - need to work out angles)
Minor: Saving & reloading of UDI line drawing settings (nearly)
Minor: Editing & saving UDI changes (nearly)
Minor: Saving and reading of sectors from separate company data file
Minor: MARSI not working in averaged RSI
Minor: Logscale charts
Minor: Can't print anything
Minor: Doesn't remember chart window heights
Medium Priority
Major: 385 items in the Todo list
Major: MS Binary import
Major: Bodhi Import
Major: All intraday imports except Quotetracker
Major: Save & read % heights of charts within a window
Major: Update hints.txt file
Major: Convert and rewrite the manual
Major: FCharts SE, Pro and Trial installer scripts
Major: Scripts to update & upload FCharts 2 web pages
Major: SE version menus
Major: Trial version menus & limitations
Minor: Remove price caching for now.
Minor: Indicator settings form needs MMA periods + tidyup
Minor: In SE, removing the second-last chart window prevents first chart from showing anything
Minor: Doesn't block importing of zero-o/h/l/c price data
Minor: Inside and Outside range days
Minor: Rising/Falling days count
Minor: Can't resize or move the float window
Minor: Payment & Receipt transactions
Minor: Displaying the first chart after closing a maximised one comes up as a random size within the maxed window.
Low Priority
Major: Redraw charts after cleanup/import/edit bar/transaction entry/edit
Minor: Show 'finished' in main chart tss when cleanup finished
Additional Features to add
Major: Edit Price data in Spreadsheet
Major: Use UDI titles as well as name to access them
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