Vortex Indicator¶
What it shows: two lines: +VI measures upward movement, −VI downward movement over a window.
How people use it: +VI crossing above −VI is read as the start of an uptrend; the opposite cross as a downtrend.
Pairs well with: ADX for trend strength.
Settings¶
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 14 | The window. Shorter crosses more often. |
You set the defaults on the Indicators page. A condition can use its own settings, which override the defaults for that condition only.
Ready-made conditions¶
| For | Condition | Fires when |
|---|---|---|
| Buy | +VI crosses above −VI | the one candle +VI moves from below the −VI line to above it |
| Sell | +VI crosses below −VI | the one candle +VI moves from above the −VI line to below it |
"Above", "below", "is" and "rising" / "falling" stay true on every candle the state lasts, so they can fire many candles in a row. "Crosses" and "flips" fire once, on the candle it happens, so you get one signal per move.
Warnings you may see¶
- "It compares a line with itself (same indicator, same settings), so it can never fire. Give the two lines different settings.": both sides of the condition are the very same line. Pick a different line or different settings for one side. With ">=", "<=", "==" or "touches" the message ends "so it is always true" instead.
- "It can never be true: a cross happens on one candle, so it cannot happen on N candles in a row. Use 'within the last N candles' instead.": a "crosses" condition with a "… in a row" lookback of 2 or more. Switch the lookback to Within the last.
- "Length must be between 1 and 1000" / "Length must be a whole number": shown in the condition editor when a condition's own value is out of range. Fix the number; the condition can't be saved until then.
Where they show: on the Strategies page, open Create entry conditions / Edit entry conditions (or the exit ones). Each condition's messages appear right under it. The setting messages ("must be between", "whole number", "must be one of", "must be smaller than") start with the indicator's short name, for example "MACD: Fast must be between 1 and 1000", and keep the conditions from being saved until fixed. The other warnings never block saving and are repeated in the strategy's Entry or Exit section, starting with the condition's name.
Good to know¶
- It is worked out from each candle's high, low and close (not volume).
- It needs some history before its value settles: the length + 1 candles (15 at length 14). Apathia loads that history for you.