0
Before you start
Open the settings on a Sim chart. Changing settings is safe there.
Groups. SLM groups its settings with a number and a name, such as 2 · Entry. This guide follows the same order.
Guide · NinjaTrader 8 · about 15 minutes
PFX SLM settings, in plain English.Keep the defaults while you learn.
SLM has more than 80 settings. You don't need to change most of them. This guide explains each group, what the default is, and when you might change it. SLM never places an order. Changing a setting only changes what it draws or which signals it shows.
~15 minread and try
7 stepsone group each
No ordersanalysis only
Defaultsare a safe start
✓
Nothing here can trade.
You're reading and turning settings on a chart. SLM only draws and alerts. If a setting doesn't match what you see, that's normal: open the "Not seeing it?" box under it.
1
Strategy and entry
What counts as a signal.
- Trade Structure & Liquidity setups (on). The master switch. Off means no signals, but structure and levels still draw.
- Swing sensitivity (10). Candles either side of a high or low before it counts. Lower gives more signals and more noise.
- Break must CLOSE beyond the level (on). A candle has to close past the swing. Off means a wick is enough.
- Require a ChoCH before arming a gap (on). A change of character first. Off lets far more signals through.
- Look back for the gap (10 candles) and Minimum gap size (0.7 × ATR). Ignores small gaps.
Leave these at the defaults until you have watched a few days. Look forward for the gap (12 candles) is a backup search: leave it alone.
Not seeing it?
I turned the master switch off and nothing shows. That's correct. Off means no signals. Structure and levels still draw as context.
Swing sensitivity does nothing. It only matters while Require a ChoCH is on.
2
Risk
How the target and stop are sized, and what gets skipped.
- Target (risk : reward) (1.1). The target is 1.1 times as far as the stop.
- Minimum stop distance (20 ticks). A stop closer than this is skipped, so spread and slippage don't eat the trade. Set it for your instrument.
- Skip a signal if a level sits before its target (off). On skips trades where a strong level is in the way.
- Breakeven on structure close (off). On moves the recorded stop to entry after a structure close.
- Risk % and account size (1.0 and 0). Only used for the panel's position-size row. Account size 0 hides that row.
Panel sizing is a guide, not an order. SLM never sizes or places a trade. The row only shows a number for you to read.
Not seeing it?
Signals keep getting skipped. Check the Output window. A line like signal skipped - stop distance … under the … -tick minimum means the minimum stop rule did it. Lower the minimum or leave it.
The position-size row is missing. Set the account size above 0 in group 3 · Risk.
3
Sessions
When SLM is allowed to signal.
- Go flat by a set time (off). On stops new signals from the time below until the next day.
- Only signal inside a session window (off). On limits signals to the hours below. Start hour is 8.
- Hours are in this timezone (New York). Chart, UTC, London or New York.
Off by default. SLM signals at any hour until you choose a window. Turn a session rule on only when you know why.
Not seeing it?
I see no signals late in the day. Check whether Go flat by a set time is on. When it is on, it stops new signals at 15:55 New York time by default.
A bar says it was skipped for a clock change. The line reads falls in a clock-change hour … skipped (no signal). Set NinjaTrader to UTC to avoid it.
4
Context and display
What SLM draws on the chart.
- Show resting liquidity shelves (on). Draws levels where highs or lows line up.
- Show strong supply / demand zones (on). Only strong zones, by default.
- Show gap zones, ChoCH / BOS labels and strong high / low levels (all on). The gaps and structure labels you read on the chart.
- Levels stay live for (200 candles). How long a shelf stays on the chart.
Too busy? Turn off the groups you don't read. Drawing changes never change a signal.
Not seeing it?
Lines disappeared after a while. Levels are only kept for 200 candles by default. Older ones drop off.
5
Panel and alerts
The information panel, and how you hear about a signal.
- Show the status panel (on), in the top left by default. Any corner works.
- Include the bias rows (on). Shows whether each timeframe is above or below its EMA. It is read-only and never filters a signal.
- Fire an alert on every signal (on). A NinjaTrader alert and sound. The sound is Alert1.wav by default.
- Also send to Telegram (off). Only sends anything if you turn it on and enter your own bot token and chat ID.
Keep your Telegram token private. Never put it in a screenshot or a shared note.
Not seeing it?
The same alert keeps repeating. Re-arm after is 10 seconds by default. Raise it if you want fewer repeats.
No sound. Check the sound file is in NinjaTrader's sounds folder, and that Windows volume is up.
6
Forward test and colours
An optional record, and what you can recolour.
- Write the forward-test ledger (off). On writes every signal and its result to a CSV in
Documents\NinjaTrader 8\PFX\. - Count signals from (date) (blank). Signals before this date are not recorded.
- Colours. Up, down, zones, target, structure, stop and the panel title. Change any to suit your chart.
Off by default. Switch the ledger on only when you want a written record to review later.
Not seeing it?
I can't find the CSV. Look in Documents\NinjaTrader 8\PFX\ after the ledger has been on for a signal.
Your safety nets
Three things to keep in mind.Always available.
None of these settings place an order. These habits keep it that way.
1
Change one setting at a time
Note the old value, change one thing, and watch a few days. You'll know what it did.
2
Keep the defaults
The defaults are the starting point. Changing many at once makes results hard to read.
3
Test on Sim first
Use a practice account until a setting does what you expect.
All done
You know what each setting does.Nicely done.
Next: the copier guide for copying trades between your accounts.
Risk warning: Futures trading carries a high risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. SLM is technical analysis, not investment advice. NinjaTrader is a registered trademark of NinjaTrader Group, LLC; PrecisionFX is not affiliated with or endorsed by NinjaTrader.