Annotation Tool

To create or view charts with annotations, access the Annotation Toolbar by selecting "Enable Annotations" from the Tools command menu.

The toolbar icons offer the ability to create notes, lines, shaded fields, and change the chart background color. A list icon will display all stocks that have a chart with an annotation. For details on how to use the features of the Annotation Toolbar, click a link below:

• Using Tools
• Using Line Styles
• Using Color Options
• Background Color Options
• Annotated Charts List

To disable this tool, click "Disable Annotations" from the Tools menu. This will cause the Annotation Toolbar and Annotated Charts List (if opened) to close.

NOTE: Annotations may be created on the Daily, Weekly and Monthly charts. Intraday charts may not be modified. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher is required to utilize this feature.

Annotation Toolbar

Selecting "Enable Annotations" from the Tools menu will prompt the window to open. This window provides access to all annotation tools.

Like the Report and Stock Lists, this toolbar window may be moved to a new position on the chart, or off the chart completely. This is done in the same way any program window is moved; by clicking/holding/dragging the window title bar (top of the window) with the mouse cursor and releasing the mouse button at the desired location.

When the toolbar is not in use, it may be minimized to the size of the title bar. To do this, right-click the title bar and select "minimize" from the menu that appears. This will remove the toolbar palette, leaving only the "Notes" title bar in the lower left corner of the chart. To access the toolbar features when the window is minimized, right-click the title bar and select "restore."

Using the "x" button on the toolbar performs the same operation as disabling the annotations from the Tools menu; it hide all chart annotations, close the , and the Annotated Charts List window, if opened.

	Tools – left column Box Outline Circle Outline Vertical Line Freeform Line Arc Text		Tools – right column Filled Box Filled Circle Horizontal Line Parallel Lines Pointer Delete Note
	Undo Deletion Restore the last item removed by the Delete tool Line Styles Dotted line Thin line Medium line Thick line Tools Color Options Fourteen colors are available to modify the appearance of the Tools (lines, shading and text). Left column colors are deeper whereas right column colors are more transparent. Chart Background Color Icons Five color options exist for changing a chart's background color. White is the default setting. Annotated Charts List Icon Access a list of all stocks with annotations. List window contains data items and functionality similar to other Stock Graphs features. See below for details.

USING TOOLS

While each Annotation Toolbar icon has a different function, there are a number of common elements when using any of these features:

• Annotations will appear only on the price field of a chart. Volume bar field, Data Boxes and other fields will not accept annotations.
• An active (selected) icon will have a light-colored box under it.
• An icon must be selected each time an item is created; for example, to create two lines, the line icon must be selected once to draw the first line and then selected again to draw a second line.
• Annotations are automatically saved when they are created.
• Annotations are stored on our computer network, allowing custom annotations to be accessible from any computer that meets the minimum requirements to access our services.
• All annotations will appear on a printed chart, though its placement may vary based on a computer's display properties.
• To disable a selected Tool item, click anywhere on the chart once.

Creating a box or circle outline: Select the color and line style for the shape's outline, then click the appropriate tool icon. Click the chart at the place where you want the shape to begin, and then drag the mouse to the point where you would like the shape to end and release the mouse button.

Creating a filled box or circle: Select a fill color and the shape, and then click the appropriate tool icon. Click the chart at the place where you want the shape to begin, and then drag the mouse to the point where you would like the shape to end and release the mouse button.

Creating a straight line: Select the color and line style you wish to use, then click either the vertical line, horizontal line, or freeform line tool. Click the point on the chart where you would like your line to begin, drag the mouse to the point where you want the line to end, and then release the mouse button. The vertical and horizontal line tools will constrain your movements to 0° and 90° respectively, while the freeform line tool is not constrained to any particular angle.

Create parallel lines: This tool will create two lines with a color-shaded area between the lines. When selecting a color, we suggest using one of the colors in the left column. The shaded area will display the corresponding color in the right column, which is relatively transparent.

After selecting the parallel line icon, the desired color and line style, click a point on the chart where you want the top line to begin. While holding down the left mouse button, drag line to the point where you would like the line to end and release the mouse button (step 1). Click the bottom line and hold down the left mouse button to adjust the position of this line. Release the mouse button to set the line (step 2).

Step 1 - Set the top line				Step 2 - Set the bottom line				Result

Create curved lines: Select the color and line style you wish to use, then click arc tool. You may need to draw multiple segments to achieve the desired results. Example: to draw a "cup" on a chart, you would click the point where you want the cup to begin, and then drag the mouse down to the bottommost point on the cup (step 1). Then, you would draw the second half of the cup as a second segment, beginning with the bottommost point on the cup and ending at the top right of the cup (step 2).

Step 1:		Step 2:

Create a pointer: Select a fill color and click the pointer tool icon. Click a point on the chart where the narrowest point of the pointer is to be placed. While holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse in the direction where you would like the pointer to end.
Create a text note: Click the text tool icon, select a color for the font, and then click and hold the mouse button as the cursor is dragged across the chart; this will set a preliminary shape and size of the text box. Release the mouse button, click the interior of this box and the box is ready to receive text from the keyboard.

When the box is active (appearing as a window), it may be resized and/or placed anywhere on the chart. Text may be modified during this stage as well. Click on the calendar icon and the current date will be placed at the beginning of the text. The text color will be determined by the color icon that is selected when the text annotation is completed. To complete a note, click the green check mark icon at the bottom right of the text window. To cancel a note, click the red "X" icon.

Text annotations may be modified at any point by double clicking the text item. This will cause the window to open as a pop-up window, just as it does when it is first created. All features, text, size, placement, may be changed. To cancel changes made to a window, click the red "X" icon. To save changes, click the green check mark icon.

Delete an annotation: Click the "X" icon to activate the delete tool, and click the item to be removed.

Restore deleted annotation: A deleted annotation may be recovered by clicking the Undo Deletion button (the half circle arrow icon).

This tool will restore only the last item removed by the Delete tool, during a login session. Annotations erased from a chart by the Annotated Charts List delete button cannot be restored.

Hide annotation display: To hide annotation on all charts, simply disable the Annotation Tool. This may be done from the "Tools" menu, by selecting "Disable Annotations." To display chart annotations, click the Tools button on the menu and select "Enable Annotations."

Obtain list of stocks with annotations: Click the table icon at the bottom of the Annotation Toolbar to open a list of all stocks with annotations. For details on using this window, review our Annotated Charts List below.

Delete all annotations for stocks: Open the "Annotated Charts List" (table icon) to obtain a list of all stocks with annotations. Select the desired stock to remove annotation and click the Delete button at the top of the list window.

To delete more than one chart at a time, use the SHIFT key to select all stocks between two points, the CTRL key to select specific stocks, or click the Select All button at the top of the list window to remove all notes on all stocks. Please exercise caution when performing this task as this action is permanent and cannot be undone.

USING LINE STYLES

Four line styles are available for use with the Tools. This includes a dotted line, thin line, medium line, and thick line. These styles will modify the appearance of the vertical line, horizontal line, freeform line, parallel lines, arc and outlined circle and box.

Unlike the Tools, it is not necessary to select a line style every time before a line is created; once a line style is selected, it will remain the default until changed. The Toolbar will display a lighter colored box under the selected line style icon to indicate which style is selected.

USING COLOR OPTIONS

Fourteen colors are available to modify the appearance of any Tool item. Left column colors are deeper and well suited for lines or text. Right column colors are more transparent; an ideal characteristic for creating solid shapes without obscuring chart details.

As with the line styles, it is not necessary to select a color every time a Tool item is created. The Toolbar will display a lighter colored box under the selected color icon to indicate the selected color.

BACKGROUND COLOR OPTIONS

Click any of the six color icons to select the background color preferred on a chart. This option will change the color for a specific chart. This is useful for using a color-coding organization method for noting stocks of specific interest.

To change the background color of a chart, click one of the five "Chart Background Color" icons. Clicking the white icon will return the chart to its default state.

When selecting a background color, please note the change will only apply to that specific chart. It will not affect other chart views (i.e. daily, weekly or monthly) or other stocks/indices.

Printed charts will display the selected background color. This option will consume a substantial amount of ink. For this reason, it may be advantages to use the white background when printing.

As with other annotations, selecting a color background other then the default white color, will add that stock/index to the Annotated Charts List.

ANNOTATED CHARTS LIST

Accessible from the table icon on the bottom of the Annotation Toolbar, this tool provides a number of features related to charts with annotations. Its main function is to list all charts that have been modified with an annotation.

Stocks and indices are automatically added to this list when the chart is modified with an annotation. When annotations are removed from a stock, the stock will be removed from the list.

The Update button will update all data in the list. This includes an update of all stocks with annotations and the data items provided for each chart. Price and volume information is presented on a 20-minute delayed basis.

Like the Report Windows and Stock Lists, this tool provides a number of columns of data. Each column header may be used to sort the list, clicking once for an ascending order and a second click to obtain a descending order. This functionality is useful for finding charts in the list or for viewing charts in a specific order.

Charts may be viewed by double-clicking an item or by clicking an item and pressing the keyboard spacebar several times. Each time the spacebar is clicked, the next chart on the list will be accessed.

The Annotated Charts List may be used to clear all annotations from a stock or index chart. This is accomplished by highlighting the desired item in the list and then clicking the Delete button. To delete more than one item from the list at a time, use the CRTL key to individually select each item from the list, or use the SHIFT key to select all items between two points you select from the list. To delete all notes from all charts, click the Select All button and click the Delete button.

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