Building a Price-Level Footprint Indicator from Tick Volume in MQL5

Summary

The article explains how an MQL5 indicator can organize tick activity into price-level footprints within each bar. It describes two display modes: bid versus ask volume at each level, and delta alongside total volume. Tick prices are grouped into configurable bins, accumulated into per-bar data, and rendered as color-scaled text on a chart canvas alongside candles. The implementation also tracks chart geometry so the display can respond to scrolling, zooming, resizing, and new ticks.

The author presents footprint patterns as possible context for trading decisions: positive or negative delta may reveal aggressive activity, diagonal bid-ask imbalances may show directional pressure, and high-volume levels may act as reference points on a revisit. These are interpretive suggestions, not validated signals. The article describes an indicator build rather than a systematic trading test, and the supplied text gives no performance evidence. Tick-based volume classification and the resulting patterns depend on the data and market feed, so they should not be treated as proof of buyer or seller intent.

Key ideas

• Footprints group tick activity into price bins within each bar.
• The indicator can show bid and ask volumes separately or display delta with total volume.
• Volume intensity is normalized within each bar to determine text colors.
• High-volume levels, low-volume nodes, and diagonal imbalances are suggested as market references or signs of pressure.
• The article explains visualization and implementation, but does not establish trading performance.

Tags

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