Inserting Line Studies Tools on the MT4 Software

The next option on the Insert menu within the MT4 platform is Line Studies Button. These tools are used to insert & draw trendlines or to place various technical analysis tools on Indices charts. This button is shown below:

Line Studies in Meta Trader 4

The button can be used to insert the following on the Indices charts:

1. Vertical Line
2. Horizontal Line
3. Trend Line
4. Trend by Angle

A trader might require to draw any of these line studies on Indices charts for different purposes: each line study will be placed on the chart depending on the type of analysis that a trader want to achieve.

Vertical Line

This is placed on a Indices chart when a trader wants to mark a particular point in a chart, maybe to mark the time they bought indices or sold indices. To insert this vertical line on a Stock Indices chart, a trader will open insert menu, as shown above, then click on 'Vertical Line' option - to select this, cursor will also change to explain vertical line icon and then select point on Indices chart where you want to draw this line.

Insert a Vertical To a Indices Chart in MT4

Horizontal Line

On MT4 trade platform, this line is placed on a Indices chart so as to mark a resistance level or a support level on the chart. The horizontal line can be drawn by selecting its button within the insert menu and then clicking on level where you want to place it.

Drawing a Horizontal Line in MetaTrader 4

On the trading example above this horizontal line is drawn at trading price support point, the trading price bounces up the second time that it gets to this point. The trend then changes to upward trend direction.

Trend Line

This is one of the most oftenly used analysis tool in indices trading. To draw this trend-line a trader can access this button from the insert menu. An upwards trend-line in Meta Trader 4 is shown below.

Trend Line Drawn in Meta Trader 4

To draw a trend line a trader has to have 2 points & join these points with the trend line & then extend it as displayed above.

A trader can draw this trend-line for either an upward trend direction or downward trend direction

Trend Line by Angle

The next option is to draw a trend by angle, this one looks exactly like the ordinary trend line shown above, only that in addition it will show the angle at which the trend line is slanting which many trades may use as a signal and specify to only trade if the angle is more than 30 degrees.

Customizing

As a trader you may want to change the formatting of a specific item for examples let use "Trend Line" study, if you want to edit its properties then you can choose it by double-clicking on it, then right click on it & the following menu will show.

Changing

Common Properties

After the above menu appears (Note the trend line has three square points that you can click and drag with your mouse to adjust it to another point using these three squares), select the first option only "Trend Line Properties", the following popup window will appear.

From this menu a trader can rename the trend-line, give it a description, change the style color to another color using the down arrow next to the color named "Blue" above or change the width property by selecting a different style from the 2 drop down arrow buttons next to the color button, & then choose okay.

Other options are marked 'Parameters' & 'Visualization'

Parameters

On parameter, tick/untick the option marked as 'Ray', this will extend/unextend the trend line up to the point where you have chosen. Download the MetaTrader software to learn what this we are talking about.

Visualization

Visualization is used to choose whether the line is displayed on all time frames or only shown on a choose few time frames that a trader can select & choose from this option as illustrated below.

Customizing Tools MetaTrader 4 Studies