Modules are the analytical layer of the workspace. Each module reads the chart's bars, computes a series, and displays it either inside the chart or in its own panel. This reference groups the built-in modules by function, lists the settings that materially change their output, and notes where two modules can appear to contradict each other.
How Modules Bind to Charts
A module binds to a chart through three inherited properties: instrument, session, and bar type. Change any of those on the chart and the module recomputes. Modules that expose an anchor also let you override the session or the visible range; modules without an anchor always follow the chart. This is why a cumulative series can jump when you scroll: the visible range changed, and a range-anchored module reset its origin.
Module panels can be stacked, overlaid, or detached. Stacking gives each series its own vertical scale, which is appropriate when the units differ. Overlaying shares one scale, which is appropriate only when the units match. A delta series and a volume series overlaid on one scale will make one of them look flat; that is a scaling artifact, not a finding.
Delta and Cumulative Delta
Delta is the per-bar difference between ask-side and bid-side volume. Cumulative delta adds those differences across a session or a range. The per-bar form is useful for spotting a single aggressive burst; the cumulative form is useful for spotting divergence between the direction of the series and the direction of the bars. Both depend on the same trade classification, so a feed that mislabels sides will corrupt both in the same way.
Settings worth checking include the reset anchor, the smoothing period, and whether the series is displayed as a line or a histogram. Smoothing makes the line easier to read but delays turning points. A short period preserves responsiveness; a long period suppresses noise at the cost of lag. Record the period in the panel title so the chart is self-describing.
Volume Profile Modules
Profile modules differ mainly in their anchor. A session profile covers one session; a composite profile covers a chosen number of sessions; a visible-range profile covers exactly what is on screen. The visible-range variant is the most flexible and the least stable, because scrolling silently changes the profile. For any comparison across sessions, prefer a fixed anchor.
Row aggregation for a profile is independent of the chart's footprint rows unless the module explicitly inherits them. A profile can therefore look smoother than the footprint beside it. This is not an inconsistency; it is two different resolutions of the same data. If the difference is distracting, align the profile's row size with the chart's ticks per row.
Session Volume, VWAP, and Anchored Averages
Session volume modules display total volume and its split by side. VWAP modules compute a volume-weighted average over an anchor that can be the session, a week, or a manually placed point. Anchored averages behave similarly: the anchor decides everything, and moving the anchor by one bar can change the series substantially near the start of the range. Place anchors deliberately and label them.
These modules are often used together, and they can disagree about direction without either being wrong. VWAP describes the average traded value; cumulative delta describes the balance of aggression. A session can close above its VWAP while cumulative delta is negative, and that combination is itself informative. The mistake is to treat one as a corrected version of the other.
| Module | Anchor | Key setting | Common pitfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | Bar | Side classification | Comparing across feeds with different classification |
| Cumulative delta | Session or range | Reset anchor | Anchor moved by scrolling |
| Session profile | Session | Value area share | Session template differs from chart |
| Composite profile | N sessions | Span and row size | Span changed without noting it |
| VWAP | Session or manual | Anchor point | Anchor placed mid-range |
| Volume | Bar | Split by side | Units differ from ladder |
| Trade count | Bar | Aggregation | Compared with volume as if equivalent |
Order-Flow Oscillators
Oscillator modules normalize order-flow measures into a bounded range. Normalization makes them comparable across instruments, but it also discards magnitude. A reading of plus eighty on a quiet instrument and plus eighty on a busy one describe different amounts of activity. Use oscillators for shape and timing, and use the raw series when size matters.
Most oscillators expose a lookback window. A short window reacts quickly and produces many crossings; a long window produces fewer, later signals. Neither setting is more correct. The window should match the horizon you are studying, and it should stay fixed for the duration of that study.
Module Hygiene
Every module on a chart costs render time and attention. A panel with nine modules is rarely nine times as informative as a panel with three. Audit periodically: remove modules whose output you have not consulted in a week, merge panels that share a scale, and rename the survivors so their settings are obvious. The workspace should describe itself without a separate notes file.
When a module misbehaves, reproduce the issue on a clean chart with a single module attached. If the problem disappears, the cause is an interaction with another module or with the chart's session. If it persists, the cause is in the module's own settings or in the data. This bisection takes a minute and saves an hour of guessing.