When you first download the program this window will appear.
-Click Save
Next you will see the Open File Window.
-Click Run
The Track 'n Trade 5.0 Installation Wizard window will appear. This will guide you through the installation process.
-Click Next
Please read the End User License agreement and if you agree to the terms of use.
-Click Next
Next you will have to confirm your installation.
-Click Install
An installing screen will appear. This may take a few minutes.
Once installation is complete this window will appear.
-Click Finish
The Welcome window will appear the first time you open Track 'n Trade 5.0. Select whether you own Track 'n Trade 5.0 or if you are using a trial version. Enter your username and password on the next page.
Choose whether you already own Track 'n Trade 5.0, or if you want to begin a free trial.
-Click Continue
Here you will enter your personal information.
-All fields are required for trial software registration
-Click Submit Registration
Enter Your Email and Password
Enter your registered email address and personal password for your Gecko Account. If you have lost or forgotten your personal password, select the blue 'Forgot Password?' link in the bottom left-hand corner of this screen.
-Click Submit
The Account Manager was created to give Gecko Software customers a convenient resource to update their personal information with us, such as your billing, shipping, and payment information.
To access the Account Manager, log-in to Track 'n Trade 5.0, click on the Help Menu, and select Account Manager. The Account Manager will open in your default browser. (You will not need to enter your email address and password if you are already logged-in to the program.)
Or, access your Account Manager by visiting www.trackntrade.com [2] or www.geckosoftware.com [3] and click on Account Manager. To log-in to the Account Manager, use the same email and password you use to access Track 'n Trade. There are links below the log-in to help you in case you forget this information. If you do not have a password, click on the "Click Here to Sign-Up" button on the bottom of the screen. It is helpful to read the information given here.
Once you have logged in, a screen will appear with your information on it. The top of the screen is a menu with Home, Update Account, Order History, and Available Products tabs.
From the Home page you can view your Account Details at the top left corner, which include your current address and phone number. You can change this information by clicking Review. You will also see any Account Notices, such as a notice that one of your subscriptions needs to be renewed. Below will be a list of your current subscriptions and a list of the software programs you currently own.
The Update Account page is where you can update your Billing and Contact Information, Shipping Information, Payment Information, and your Password. It is important to keep this information up-to-date.
On the Order History page, there will be a chronological list of all your orders. To view them in detail, click on the Details link on the right side of the screen.
The last page on the menu is Available Products. Here you can view all the Gecko Software products you do not own. Please browse through and make purchases from this window.
This section will introduce you to the basic functions and features of Track 'n Trade 5.0. First we'll take a look at your workspace. The screenshot below is what you will see when you open Track 'n Trade 5.0. Use this as a reference for the rest of the manual. The following pages will explain each Toolbar and Menu labeled here and their functions.
Open a new blank chartbook by clicking on New, or open an already saved chartbook by clicking on Open.
Save the current chartbook with existing name by clicking Save. If the chartbook hasn't been saved, the Save As window will open for you to name the chartbook that you are working on. Clicking on Save As will open the same window.
Remember Last Book will load the last chartbook you had open. The last chartbooks you had opened are listed below Data Download.
Print the chart window by selecting Print. Print Preview will open a window showing what the chart will look like when it is printed. Print Setup gives options for printing the chart.
Download Data will open the Data Download window in your browser.
Exit closes the program.
Hide All Filled Orders is activated by default to hide orders which have already filled. Once an order is filled, a new order position line will appear within the chart window. You may also select to hide orders On Position Line, where only orders placed at the same position line price will be hidden.
Check or unchecked any of the next twelve lines to show or hide each individual Track 'n Trade toolbar. The toolbar is activated when a checkmark appears beside it. Toolbars you can choose to show or hide are Main Toolbar, Status Bar, Play Controls, Charting Tools, Notation Tools, Accounting Tools, Advanced Tools, Overlay Buttons, Indicator Buttons, Add On Indicator Buttons, Sizing Controls, and Current Price Bar.
You may also select Tool Button Lock that gives you the ability to use the tool you have selected an unlimited amount until you select another tool. If this option is not selected, your tools will only last for one drawing and default back to the pointer tool. Deselecting Show Drawing Tools will hide any drawn tools on your chart.
Download Data will begin a new data download.
The Commodity Chooser option will open the Commodity Chooser window.
Select Long Term Settings to customize your long term charts or select Spread Margins to open the spread margins window.
Load and Save Themes are explained in the Charting Preferences section. [4]
Clicking on About TNT EOD will open a window with information about the version installed, the activation code, and the plug-ins installed.
Online Manual, Keyboard Shortcuts, Video Tutorials, Online Help, Report A Problem/Feature, and Account Manager will open a window in your browser and link you to the appropriate website.
There are times when you will receive a pop up window asking if you want to finish an action (such as deleting a chart). If you select "Don't ask me again" in the window, you won't receive the notification next time you complete the same action. By selecting Reset Questions, you will start receiving all pop up windows again.
Live Tech Support is used while on the phone or while chatting with a technical support representative. Use this function only when prompted by a support representative.
New: Closes your current chartbook and opens a new blank chartbook.
Open: Closes your current chartbook and opens a window for you to choose a previously saved chartbook.
Save: Saves your open charts as a chartbook.
Screen Capture: Saves your open chart as an image. Shift-click saves your chart window plus your control panel. (Ctrl-click copies the screenshot to your clipboard and makes it ready to paste. Shift-Ctrl will copy your chart window plus your control panel.)
Print: Prints the chart window.
Print Preview: Opens a window showing what the chart will look like when its printed.
Commodity Chooser: Opens the Commodity Chooser window.
Data Update: Opens the Data Download window in your browser.
Pointer: Default tool used for selecting tools and features in the software.
Scrolling Hand: Used in chart window to click and drag a chart.
Crosshair: Used to draw a line vertically and horizontally on a chart.
Line: Used to draw support and resistance lines.
Multi-Line: Used to draw an alternating support and resistance line.
123: Used to chart a 123 top or bottom formation.
Head and Shoulders: Used to chart a Head & Shoulders top or bottom formation.
Narrow Sideways Channel: Used to identify a horizontal channel.
N% Ruler: Used to measure a retracement.
Inclining/Declining Channel: Used to identify an inclining or declining channel.
Wedge: Used to identify any type of wedge or triangle.
Trend Fan: Used to identify a trend fan.
Elliott Wave: Used to chart an Elliott Wave.
Dart/Blip: Used to identify a Dart/Blip.
Gann Fan: Used to chart a Gann Fan.
Andrews Pitchfork: Used to chart an Andrews Pitchfork.
Fibonacci Retracement: Used to measure a Fibonacci Retracement.
Fibonacci Time Zones: Used to measure a Fibonacci Time Zone.
Day Offset: Used to measure the number of trading days versus actual days between two points.
Arc: Used to identify a rounded top or bottom formation.
Notation Arrow: Used to draw arrows to help point out areas of interest.
Flag: Used to place a flag or graphic.
Text: Used to type text.
Rectangle: Used to draw a rectangle.
Circle: Used to draw a circle.
Dollar Calculator: Used to find the dollar value between two points on the chart.
Risk/Reward: Used to find the difference between two points of the risk and reward zone.
Center Chart: Takes existing price bars on all charts open and centers them in your chart window.
Daily Chart: Each price bar represents a day.
Long Term Daily: Each price bar represents a day, but the chart includes all available data.
Long Term Weekly: Each chart price bar represents a week.
Long Term Monthly: Each chart price bar represents a month.
Use this toolbar to select the indicators you would like to be shown in the indicator window.
Use this toolbar to select which chart overlays you would like to appear within the chart window.
If you want to move your chart horizontally or vertically, click and drag the ruler baron the side of o under the chart. To scale your chart horizontally or vertically (zoom in and zoom out), click on the plus and minus sign buttons on either side of the rulers. Zooming horizontally is done with the buttons below the chart. Zooming vertically is done with the buttons on the right side of the chart.
The control panel is on the left side of your screen. It includes five tabs: Charts, Preferences, Key, Data, and Notes.
This section of the Control Panel gives you the ability to open a chart, add a chart to your Chartbook, and to select between the charts that are open. See the Chartbooks section for more details.
The My Account window can be used to place orders and make deposits and withdrawals. This window also has overall totals for the trading account and for the current contract that you have open in the Chart Window.
Additional information about the My Account tab is available in the Accounting & Simulator Plug-in [5] section.
The Preferences Tab will help you customize how your chart looks and information on your chart. It defaults to chart settings, but will also show the options for customizing Technical Tools and Indicators. This is where you can change colors, fonts, and line type for your chart and indicators.
This section displays the key details and data from the contract displayed in the Chart Window. (Terms are explained in depth in the Introduction to Futures chapter.)
Symbol: Gecko Software's symbol for the commodity.
Name: Name of the commodity.
Group: The group is a category for commodities.
Exchange: The exchange is where the commodity's trades are processed.
Contract Size: Number of units that one contract represents.
Contract Units: The unit of measurement.
Tic Size: The tic size is defined as the smallest increment the quote of a contract will fluctuate.
Minimum Move: Tic size represented as a decimal value.
Tic Units: The unit of measure for quotes. This unit should be the same as the unit that the Exchange uses.
Full Point Value: This value represents what a move in the ones place is worth.
Init. Margin: The initial margin for your account.
Maint. Margin: The maintenance margin for your account.
First Notice Day (FND): Date that the contract will expire.
Last Trading Day (LTD): Last day to trade the open contract.
Market Open: The time that the market opens.
Market Close: The time that the market closes.
Options Expiration: The date that options will expire worthless or be automatically exercised into futures orders.
Options Strike Interval: The value for the minimum spacing between options, as listed by the Exchange.
Options Min. Move: The value of the minimum price fluctuation for the options contract.
No. of strikes above/below: The value used to calculate strikes above the highest high and below the lowest low in generated Black and Scholes data.
The Data tab will give you the historical data for each day a specific symbol had traded. It will give you the open price, close price, highest price, and lowest price on the day. It also shows the volume traded. Values for indicators are added when the indicator is open.
The disk button is used to save any changes you have made to the data, so that they are available the next time you run the software. The disk button with the red arrow on it is for undoing any data changes you have made but have not saved. If you have already saved the incorrect value, this action will not recall the original value.
You can select to see all data in decimal or fractional format. Most commodities are traded as decimal values and will be displayed as a decimal everywhere.
To customize the Data tab, click on the Customize button and the Customize window will open. In this window, you can select which data is displayed in the Data tab. To change the data column display order, use the + or - keys on your keyboard to move the selected item up or down in the list.
The Notes tab is for your convenience to use as a note pad for your research and trading strategy. A separate note pad is provided for each chart.
Before you can look at any charts, you need to download the specific commodities that you would like to view. The data download utility in Track 'n Trade 5.0 is simple to use. Easily control the commodities that you download with the Commodity Chooser and keep current with Data Download.
You can bring up the commodity chooser window by selecting the Commodity Chooser button from your Main toolbar, selecting Commodity Chooser... from your View menu, or clicking Click to Choose a Commodity from the dropdown menu in the Commodity tab of your Control panel.
In this window, you can select which commodities you would like to download.
The options data is only available if you own the Options Plug-in and the Futures & Options Data Subscription service.
Remember, you can open this window often and download more commodities in the future. If you would like to select or deselect all commodities, click on the + or - button at the end of each column.
Note: Saved Chartbooks containing charts from commodities that you have removed from the Chart Window will not be affected by the Commodity Chooser. This utility will not delete data from your hard drive. The Commodity Chooser will only hide the commodity from the Commodity tab and from the daily data downloads.
Track 'n Trade 5.0 will accept contracts typed in the following format:
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Legend for the Commodity Symbols | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
+ Combined Contract (c) Combined Data (o) Open Outcry Session (e) Electronic Session | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Month Symbols | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
F | January | N | July | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
G | February | Q | August | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
H | March | U | September | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
J | April | V | October | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K | May | X | November | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
M | June | Z | December |
The Data Update button is located next to the Commodity Chooser button in your Main toolbar. Click on this button to open the data download program.
Before opening a new Data Download, Track 'n Trade 5.0 will check for product updates. If an update is available you will be notified and given a window to choose "Yes" or "No" on the update. It is recommended that you install each update as it becomes available. After you are finished with the program update, you will be returned to your Data Download window.
If the data update does not begin automatically, click on "Begin" to start the data update. A window will appear when the data update is completed. Click on OK and exit out of the Data Download window to return to Track 'n Trade 5.0.
A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that protects your computer from being accessed by other people on the Internet. A firewall only allows basic types of Internet and network communications. But it keeps you safe and is important to have.
In order to speed up the downloading process, Track 'n Trade 5.0's does not use conventional means to download data. Because of this, Track 'n Trade 5.0 may encounter problems downloading through the firewall. It may appear that the downloader is idle for a long period of time and then it will display an error stating it could not find the server. This is because the firewall does not allow the server to send the new data to your computer.
Track 'n Trade 5.0 has a feature to allow for both standard and non-standard methods for downloading data. The standard method uses Port 80 which is accepted by most firewalls as regular traffic, but this method is slower. The non-standard method uses Port 60184 and will need to have an exception made in order for this method to work with a firewall; this method is much faster than Port 80 in downloading data.
Configuring Track 'n Trade 5.0 for Firewalls:
1. Click on the Data Update button from the Main toolbar to start.
2. Click on the button located in the far right called "Options."
3. If you are working with a firewall, select "Port 80" and then click the "OK" button.
4. Close Data Download, then restart by clicking on the "Data Updates" button.
Just like a novel is made up of many single pages, a chartbook contains many individual charts. Each chartbook can contain several charts, each individual chart becoming the "pages" of your chartbook. Every time you open Track 'n Trade 5.0, a blank chartbook named Untitled Book will open. You can either continue with this new chartbook or open a chartbook that has already been saved.
Each chart that you open and view from the Commodities tab is listed below in the Active Charts list found on the left side of your screen. This list is your "Table of Contents" for your chartbook. Charts are listed in alphabetical order in this window. To switch between charts simply double-click on the different charts listed.
Track 'n Trade 5.0 will automatically open a new chartbook whenever you open the program. This new chartbook needs "pages" or charts added to it. You can add pages to your chartbook by opening charts in the commodity tab. If you know the symbol for the chart you are looking for, you can type it into the entry box next to Symbol and press enter. A complete list of commodity symbols and commodity month symbols can be found in the Data Download section. If you do not know the symbol of the market you want to see, find your chart by choosing the market, month and year:
1. Choose your commodity from the dropdown menu
2. Choose the month and year from the dropdown menu to the right
3. Click on the "Open Chart" button below
Notice that you have sorting options above the Choose a Commodity drop down menu. You can sort commodities by Group or Exchange, and you can display them in Ascending or Descending order.
Now that you have charts in your chartbook, you have the ability to add and remove charts as you wish before you save it as a chartbook. Right click on the chart you would like to remove and select "Delete Chart" from the dropdown menu. A Confirm Chart Deletion window will appear on your screen. Click OK.
When you have several charts open in your Active Charts window, there are several ways for you to switch back and forth between them:
When you are content with how your Active Chart list is setup, you can save it as a chartbook to open later. Click on the File menu and select "Save" or click the Save button on your Toolbar. The Save As window will open. It is recommended that you rename your chartbook to avoid accidentally overwriting the file next time a chartbook is saved.
To save over or replace a chartbook that has already been saved, select "Save As" from the File menu. Type in a new name or select the chartbook you want to save over. Note that the default folder is My Documents. If you choose to save your chartbook into a different folder, remember that this is the location in which your chartbook will be saved. Some Track 'n Trade users have named Books according to Groups, Commodities, or Exchanges based on the charts that they are saving in the Book. As you become familiar with Track 'n Trade 5.0, you will be able to develop a system of your own.
To open an existing chartbook, you can click on the File menu and select "Open," or click on the Open button on your Main toolbar. The Open window will appear. In the Open window, select the file you would like to open and click on the Open button.
You will also find that a recently saved chartbook will be in the bookmark section at the end of the File menu.
Many Track 'n Trade 5.0 users include Chartbooks and images of their charts in emails, websites, presentations, etc. To save a current chart as it appears on your screen as an image, click on the Screen Capture button in your Main toolbar. The Save Chart Image window will open. You may specify the file name, location, and file type (the standard web file types are .gif or .jpg). Once the image is saved, you are ready to email it or import it into a document.
To print a chart in Track 'n Trade 5.0, click on the File menu and select "Print." The Print screen will open for your default printer. You can also print a chart by clicking on the Print button on your Main toolbar. The printed chart will always have the Indicator Window printed at the bottom of the chart. The size of the chart will depend on the size that it is when you press the Print button. To change from Portrait to Landscape, click on "Print Setup" from the File Menu. Selecting the Landscape button will print a full-page chart, while Portrait will print a half-page chart.
For an idea of what the chart will look like printed, select Print Preview from the File menu or your Main toolbar to view the output before printing the chart. The last day's open, high, low, and close will also be printed on the chart.
You can specify how your chart looks by using the Preferences tab in your Control Panel or by right-clicking in your chart window and using selections from the dropdown menu.
When you highlight Price Bar Type, a menu will appear to the right of the dropdown window. From here, you can select which style of price bars you would like to appear on your chart.
The Preferences tab is located in the Control Panel. Chart preferences appear in the window by default. When your preferences tab is open, click in the chart window and the chart preferences will appear. In this tab, you can customize every detail of how your chart looks. You can specify colors and sizes of all the features on your chart.
Track 'n Trade 5.0 gives you the ability to save your personal settings as a theme. With different themes, you can apply many pre-set characteristics quickly to a chart. When you have your settings how you like them, select Save Themes from your View menu. The Save settings to file window will appear. Choose where you would like your themes to be saved, name your theme, and click on "Save."
Select Load Themes from your View menu to apply a saved theme. The Settings Load Confirmation window will appear. Click Yes if you want to replace all user default settings with your theme and have your theme apply to all active charts. Click No if you only want to replace your user default settings with your theme, but don't want your theme to apply to your active charts. Clicking Cancel will exit the window and no theme will be applied. The Open window will appear if you select Yes or No. Find your saved theme and click "Open."
Links
[1] https://secure.geckosoftware.com/account_manager/
[2] http://www.trackntrade.com
[3] http://www.geckosoftware.com
[4] http://education.trackntrade.com/node/1482
[5] http://education.trackntrade.com/node/1578/