Adding Per-Bar Delta and Volume Sentiment to Footprint Charts

Summary

This article extends an MQL5 footprint chart with an information box above each candle. The box summarizes bar-level net delta, total volume, and the buy and sell shares, with color intensity mapped to delta strength. The implementation caches these values as market data updates, then renders rounded, semi-transparent boxes with anti-aliasing so the underlying price-level footprint remains visible.

The article suggests using delta alongside price direction, total participation, and the percentage split to interpret aggression, possible absorption, and indecision. It also proposes scanning color changes across bars as a visual aid for momentum or potential shifts. These are interpretive trading heuristics rather than validated signals: the supplied material focuses on indicator construction and rendering, and gives no systematic test of predictive accuracy or trading performance. Delta classifications can also be affected by how the underlying footprint assigns volume to buyers and sellers.

Key ideas

• The box summarizes each bar’s net delta, total volume, and buy and sell volume percentages.
• Delta direction and price direction can be compared to flag possible absorption or divergence.
• Total volume helps distinguish high-participation bars from bars with less activity.
• Color intensity and percentage imbalance provide a quick visual comparison across bars.
• The article implements chart rendering but does not validate these readings as profitable signals.

Tags

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.