The Bar Direction solver identifies bars that closed in a direction: Long for up bars, Short for down bars. Bars must be at least the Minimum Bar Size to count.
For example: wait for three up bars in a row before allowing a long signal.
Properties tab
The essential settings for the node.
Modifiers
Buttons for the most common output modifiers. They change only the selected instance of a node on a Logic Board, so they appear only when a node is selected there, not when a solver is selected in the Solvers panel. That keeps the solver’s original output unchanged everywhere else it’s used, much like changing an SMA’s plot color on one chart leaves it unchanged on your other charts.
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable | Turns the node on or off. When it’s off, the node is left out of the system’s calculations. It still looks connected on the Logic Board, but it’s ignored. |
| Invert | Inverts the node’s output. The same calculation as the Inverter function node, without its extra options. |
| Swap | Swaps the outputs: Long becomes Short and Short becomes Long. The same as the Long/Short Modifier function node with Mode: Swap. |
Global Properties
These settings apply to every instance of the solver: change one instance and they all change. To change just one, make a copy of the solver. The copy is a separate solver, with a number added to the end of its name.
Behavior
Turns off the Long or the Short output.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Evaluate | Which outputs the solver calculates. Both: Long and Short. Long only: only Long; the Short output is removed. Short only: only Short; the Long output is removed. |
Options
What counts as a bar in the right direction, and how many are needed.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Minimum Bar Size | The smallest open-to-close size a bar must have to count, and its unit (Points, Ticks, Renko Bricks or ATRs, see Measuring distance). Smaller bars output 0. |
| Mode | All or Nothing (most used, for true/false systems): outputs 1 once all the bars in Number Bars are in the same direction, and 0 until then. Percent (for fuzzy logic systems): each qualifying bar adds an equal share. With Number Bars at 4, each bar adds 0.25, and the 4th brings the output to 1. |
| Number Bars | How many bars, counting back from Start Bars Ago, must meet the condition. |
| Signals For Dojis | Lets doji bars on Range charts count as having a direction. Gravestone: the Low, Open and Close are equal. Dragonfly: the High, Open and Close are equal. The definitions are strict, designed for Range charts. |
| Start Bars Ago | How many bars back to start checking. |
Options tab
Secondary settings shared by all nodes.
Weight
Changes the node’s final output value. Only needed when designing a fuzzy logic system, or a fuzzy logic part of a system.
How Weight works
Weight changes only the selected instance of a node on a Logic Board. So the controls appear only when a node is selected there, not when a solver is selected in the Solvers panel: a solver’s original output can’t be changed globally.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Multiply Output | Multiplies the node’s internal Long and Short values (set by the Output Rules on the Properties tab) by this number. The final output still can’t go above 1 (see Slider). |
| Slider | Limits the final output to between 0 and 1. The left handle sets a minimum output, given whether or not the condition is true. The right handle sets the maximum; the output is capped there. |
| Hedge Operation | Applies a formula to the internal value. None: unchanged. Very: squares it (value²). Somewhat: takes the square root (√value). |
Example: two out of three
Three solvers check three indicator conditions, but only two need to be true. Connect them to an Additive logic node and set each solver’s maximum (the slider’s right handle) to 0.5. When any two are true, the Additive node adds 0.5 + 0.5 + 0 = 1, which means the two-out-of-three condition is met.
Description
Free text for describing what the node does or what it’s for. The Description is shared by every instance of the node, unlike Weight, which is set per instance.
Help tab
Shows this page for the selected node, inside BloodHound. Click the node’s image at the top of the page to open it in a bigger window. The built-in web viewer needs NinjaTrader 8.0.26.0 or newer.
Tutorial video
Examples
Example 1: The basics
An output in the direction of each bar.
Settings and chart
Settings
- Add the Bar Direction solver and keep the default settings.
Result
A Long (green) output on up bars and a Short (red) output on down bars. Doji bars have no output.
Example 2: Strength on volume
Strong price movement on limited volume, which can hint at a lack of conviction or a “fake-out”. The chart uses Volume bars, which cap the volume per bar, so only price movement needs checking: at least 5 ticks per bar, 3 bars in a row.
Settings and chart
Settings
- Add the Bar Direction solver.
- Set Minimum Bar Size to 5 Ticks.
- Set Mode to All or Nothing.
- Set Number Bars to 3.
Result
No fake-out happened here, but price paused for a while after each detected move before continuing.
