Metastock - Anyone used this?

[Dominover]

Has anyone here used Metastock?
I'm looking at all the trading software at the moment and have heard some good things about Metastock. I just want to trade Australian stocks and have the flexibility for market plug-ins like 'Market Profile' and others.

Will need down to 1 minute live data.
Just wanted to see what the trading community thought of it?
Thanks

 

[tech/a]

Used it for years
Good starters product
Depends on what you want it to do

 

[Boggo]

Was great software that set the standard years ago before Amibroker came along with better programming ability and less than half the cost.
I moved from Metastock to Amibroker and with programmers on here such as @Willzy who transferred my ideas and formulas it was a no brainer.

The older versions use Metastock and ASCII etc data but later versions only used a new proprietary data but I am not sure on the latest versions as they lost a bit of ground when the new owners (Reuters ??) got carried away with their prices etc while Amibroker was setting the new standard.

Not sure how current this site is, maybe check with @Richard Dale at Norgate re data.
http://www.metastockaustralia.com/metastock/metastock-data/

 

[Dominover]

Used it for years
Good starters product
Depends on what you want it to do

Why did you stop using it? Is that when you switched to IB?

 

[Dominover]

Was great software that set the standard years ago before Amibroker came along with better programming ability and less than half the cost.
I moved from Metastock to Amibroker and with programmers on here such as @Willzy who transferred my ideas and formulas it was a no brainer.

The older versions use Metastock and ASCII etc data but later versions only used a new proprietary data but I am not sure on the latest versions as they lost a bit of ground when the new owners (Reuters ??) got carried away with their prices etc while Amibroker was setting the new standard.

Not sure how current this site is, maybe check with @Richard Dale at Norgate re data.
http://www.metastockaustralia.com/metastock/metastock-data/

Does Amibroker have more features? Was it just the cost that made you switch?

 

[tech/a]

Why did you stop using it? Is that when you switched to IB?

Thinking about it was around then but had nothing to do with why I stopped.
I went to Amibroker but found the language clunky.
Amibroker is also very good but there is better data analysis.

Trading mainly discretionary Futures trading.

Whatt do you want to do?

 

[Dominover]

Thinking about it was around then but had nothing to do with why I stopped.
I went to Amibroker but found the language clunky.
Amibroker is also very good but there is better data analysis.

Trading mainly discretionary Futures trading.

Whatt do you want to do?

I will really only be trading stocks and maybe FX in the future. My main aim is to find the best value for money I can find.
Looked at IB and I agree it looks good, but i'm dubious as to whether I will be able to access all the data it shows now, once I subscribe.

The platform, at a minimum, will need to contain the following indicators and other things.
-VWAP
-Anchored VWAP

-Volume Profile with a decent reference range. Hopefully more than 2 weeks (this is where IB lacks)

-A good array of drawing tools ( this is where IB lacks). Especially a risk/reward widget for setting out trades (like the one on trading view).

-All intraday data and on time intraday data too. Not 5 minute data delayed by 15 minutes.

-I would like to search for various setups on the future. Maybe that will be by my own programming (I'm familiar with C++), or by a function of the application.

-Chart overlays, for example, the ability to compare a signifcant number of indexes both domestically and world-wide, on one chart. And the ability to compare stocks on one chart or stocks and indexes on one chart.

-The ability to incorporate a 'Market Profile' plug-in. Metastock does this and I believe Amibroker does as well.

If I find all of these things I will have found everything I need. This is why I'm now looking for something a little more expensive than I was initially looking at.

Iguana Spark may have all these features, but to me, $2400 per year is a little expensive when there's plenty of competition out there.
If you were me, which one would you go for given my needs?

 

[Boggo]

Does Amibroker have more features? Was it just the cost that made you switch?

Cost wasn't an issue as I already had Metastock, it was mainly the backtesting simplicity that I read about that I found impressive.
I had taught myself basic programming in Metastock but when I went with Amibroker I had a programmer transfer all my formulas across as well as testing numerous ideas in a fraction of the time of doing the same in Metastock.
The programmer was @Willzy, he pops in here occasionally and may be worth having a word with as he runs a number of systems and software over different markets and some of it I think is similiar to what you are looking at.

 

[Dominover]

I'm noticing that Amibroker has a terrible array of indicators. Not even VWAP which is quiet shocking for a platform like this.

 

[Dominover]

Anyone know a platform with the features I've mentioned?

 

[Joe90]

Took me all of 30secs to find this VWAP.afl

f=Param(" Periods ",5,1,5000);
VWAP=Sum(V*C,f)/Sum(V,f);
Plot (VWAP,"VWAP",ParamColor( "Color", colorCycle ), ParamStyle("Style") );

 

[Dominover]

Took me all of 30secs to find this VWAP.afl

f=Param(" Periods ",5,1,5000);
VWAP=Sum(V*C,f)/Sum(V,f);
Plot (VWAP,"VWAP",ParamColor( "Color", colorCycle ), ParamStyle("Style") );

Ok, I wasn't sure how this would work. So you can program in your own indicators. Is that correct? I'm new to the programming in these applications.
What programming language is that? Is it some kind of proprietary language?

 

[Joe90]

Ok, I wasn't sure how this would work. So you can program in your own indicators. Is that correct? I'm new to the programming in these applications.
What programming language is that? Is it some kind of proprietary language?

Amibroker Formula Language = AFL.
You need to be better informed before spouting off about Amibroker's "terrible array of indicators".
Start here and educate yourself.
https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/dump-it-here.34425/page-168#post-1079495

 

[Boggo]

Ok, I wasn't sure how this would work. So you can program in your own indicators. Is that correct? I'm new to the programming in these applications.
What programming language is that? Is it some kind of proprietary language?

Mate, seriously. You are going to go round in circles here indefinitely.

Look up the Amibroker threads on here, message @Trav. or @Willzy etc or any of the other contributors on those threads and will get all your answers from some very helpful people who will help you decide if it's suitable or not.

Amibroker can do your tax for for you if you program it to do so

https://www.amibroker.com/guide/AFL.html

 

[Dominover]

Amibroker Formula Language = AFL.
You need to be better informed before spouting off about Amibroker's "terrible array of indicators".
Start here and educate yourself.
https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/dump-it-here.34425/page-168#post-1079495

That's not what I meant and I can comment on their lack of features all day long if I need to. This kind of thinking that "I'm sprouting off" when I'm just making a valid criticism is hardly warranted. . T

he truth is, they do have a terrible array of indicators as do allot of the platforms offered by brokers in the Australian market. No doubt there's a reason for that. That reason is usually to push you in a certain direction.

So my understanding of Amibroker, and this was not a platform I have ever thought of looking at, is that it's programmable in allot more ways besides just for back-testing. This is a new concept to me as I have never used or heard of something like this. I've just used broker platforms.

But thank you for your enthusiastic response anyway, and for swiftly and accurately pointing out my floors! I'll do everything in my power to improve myself!

 

[Dominover]

Thinking about it was around then but had nothing to do with why I stopped.
I went to Amibroker but found the language clunky.
Amibroker is also very good but there is better data analysis.

Trading mainly discretionary Futures trading.

Whatt do you want to do?

With regards to your question, I'm only learning what I can do with this. I'm now looking at Amibroker allot more seriously. The thing that scares me off is the data charges for live ASX market data.
I have found that you can link the IB TWS with Amibroker and use their live data. Just wondering if you have done this and if so, have you had any issues with it? I can see how to do it on the web, but I also read that there are some issues with lower time-frame data (1 and 5 minute charts).

 

[tech/a]

No I haven't linked it to Amibroker
I guess your looking to trade signals generated in real-time
from Formulated rules.
Other I have working with me have linked their own software
(Proprietary) to various data sources but not real time.

The capability is there though. (Through their own programming).

 

[Dominover]

No I haven't linked it to Amibroker
I guess your looking to trade signals generated in real-time
from Formulated rules.
Other I have working with me have linked their own software
(Proprietary) to various data sources but not real time.

The capability is there though. (Through their own programming).

Thanks mate! I'll probably make a separate thread on that area. The existing threads on that topic (with Amibroker) are getting a bit old now. Cheers!

 

[DonDiego]

How did you go @Dominover , did you progress with Amibroker ? or choose some other software analysis package ?