Custom Toolbar

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Overview

The Custom Toolbar gives you the ability to quickly and easily access your favourite tools, Actions (eg close workbook, take a screenshot), Chart Layouts, Folders, Page Layouts, Print Commands, Scans, and Workbooks.

Note that it’s possible to have multiple buttons for the same tool, each with its own unique setting, such as two Fibonacci Retracement buttons each with different levels, various Show Bar formulas, or Chart Element labels. The buttons can be grouped in to folders for easy organisation, as seen in this example with a folder called Lines that drops down to show horizontal and trend lines with different colours:

When Optuma is first installed the custom toolbar is blank. As you begin charting and analysing the market you will come across certain tools and actions that you use on a regular basis. Instead of accessing them from the menus each time, custom buttons can be added to your toolbar to enable quick access. It’s also possible to group tools in folders which can then be easily shared with other Optuma users by exporting them.

When the number of custom buttons exceed the width of the Toolbar, a Show More Tools arrow will display allowing access to the additional buttons.

Video

This video is pulled from the Optuma 101 course that you can access here. This course takes you through the basics of Optuma and helps you get up and running and using Optuma to its full potential. This video shows how you can adjust and build the Custom Toolbar to make your analysis even quicker and easier.

Adding Tools to the Custom Toolbar

There are three methods available for adding tools to your Custom Toolbar:

Method 1

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Tool option.

The tool selection window will open. Type in the name of the tool you wish to add, then left-click on it in the list displayed.

The Properties for the selected tool will display.

Adjust the properties to the settings you wish the tool to use, when applied from the Custom Toolbar. The Tool Default properties will be different for every tool.

There are three additional properties displayed in this window, which aren’t normally part of the tool’s properties:

Label: This determines the text label that is displayed on the button placed on the Custom Tool Folder (e.g. MA for Moving Average).

Shortcut: Gives you the ability to bind a keyboard shortcut to this button (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + M).

Image: This determines the icon that is displayed on the button placed on the Custom Tool Folder. (Images shown to the right).

Once the properties have been set, a button will be added to the Custom Toolbar.

Method 2

If the tool you want to add to your Custom Toolbar is already applied to a chart, you can add the tool to the chart by selecting it.

The Control Panel will display the Actions and Properties for the selected tool. Located under the Actions section will be an option called Add to Toolbar.

A button will be added to the Custom Toolbar using the current settings the tool is set to.

Method 3

If the tool you want to add to your Custom Toolbar is already applied to a chart, you can add the tool to the chart by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard. At the same time, left-click and hold on the tool, and drag it to the Custom Toolbar.

Release the left mouse button and a button will be added to the Custom Toolbar using the current settings the tool is set to.

Method 4

You can add multiple tools to a single button, for example, 3 Moving Averages at once. To do this, you need to have the tools already placed on your chart. To select them all, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and left click each indicator. The lines will turn orange when selected.

Once all the tools have been selected, go to the left side panel and click Add Tools to Toolbar under the Actions section. A new button will be added to the Custom Toolbar.

When clicked, all of the tools you had selected will be added to the chart in a single click.

Adding Actions to the Custom Toolbar

There are over 30 different actions available, from closing a workbook, changing timeframes, accessing the Scanning Manager, or even Save Page as Image File.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Action option. The Action Properties window will display:

Adjust the Properties to the desired action, and a button will be added to the Custom Toolbar. Similar to a custom tool you can also adjust the keyboard shortcut, the image and the code displayed on the button.

Adding Chart Layouts to the Custom Toolbar

If you use Chart Layouts then you can add your layouts to the Custom Toolbar.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Chart Layout option. The Chart Layout Properties window will display:

You can then select the desired layout, label and icon to use.

Adding Folders to the Custom Toolbar

If a large number of items have been added to the Custom Toolbar it can become cluttered, and buttons can be difficult to find. Adding a folder help manage this by grouping similar tools under a single button.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Folder option. The Folder Properties window will display:

Once the folder has been created, you can move other buttons on the Custom Toolbar into the folder by left-clicking and dragging the button to the folder icon.

Adding Page Layouts to the Custom Toolbar

If there is a layout that you wish to use all the time with different sets of codes, you can create buttons to quickly load them.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Page Layout option. The Page Layout Properties window will display:

Adding Custom Bar Colours to the Toolbar

You can add custom bar colours to the tool bar. Custom bar colours use the scripting language to set rules for different colours on a chart.

For example, show all bars above a 150EMA as blue, and below as red. You can read more about custom bar colours here: Custom Bar/Tool Colours controlled by Script Formulas

To add a custom bar colour to the tool bar, open a chart and setup the custom colour scheme (as per the link above). Once this has been setup, click on a bar on the chart, go to the left side panel and under actions left click Copy Colours to Toolbar.

A new button will be added to the custom tool bar.

Now you can open a new chart and click that button to apply the custom colour scheme. (You can right click and edit the label name once it has been created).

Adding Print Commands to the Custom Toolbar

It is possible to add publishing print commands directly to the Custom Toolbar. For information on command prompt publishing and the commands that are supported please click here.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Print Command option. The Print Command Properties window will display:

Clicking the i symbol next to Print Cmd will list the available Print Commands that can be used.

Adding Workbooks to the Custom Toolbar

If you have a favourite workbook then this can be added to the Custom Toolbar for quick and easy access.

Located in the Custom Toolbar are two small + symbols. Left-click on one of the + symbols.

In the window that displays, left-click the Add Workbook option. The Folder Properties window will display:

To select the desired workbook click the … (Browse for folder) button next to Workbook.

Sort Tools

The Sort Tools button allows you to automatically alphabetically sort the various tools in your Custom Toolbar.

Button Style

To change the style of the buttons click on the + on the row of buttons you wish to change. From the Button Style drop-down box, select either Icon & Text, Icon Only or Text Only. This can be useful in creating more space on the toolbar.

Adjusting Properties

If you’ve already added an item to the Custom Toolbar and wish to change its properties, this can be done by right-clicking on the button. The properties for the selected button will display, which can be adjusted to the new settings.

Removing a Button

To remove a button from the Custom Toolbar, hover over the one you wish to remove and left-click the small red x displayed.