Can you tell which time frame the drawn line is from?
There are many horizontal lines drawn on the 15-minute chart. Which of them is the important line drawn on the 4-hour chart, and which is the short-term line drawn on the 15-minute chart? After a while, it can become unclear.
When analyzing across multiple timeframes, the problem of not knowing the source of the line often occurs. This time, we will整理 (organize) how to distinguish them.
What troubles you if you can’t distinguish them
In MTF analysis, there is a way to assign different roles to lines on higher and lower timeframes.
- Prices that repeatedly reacted on the higher timeframe: treat as a key level in analysis
- Prices that only paused once on the 15-minute chart: treat as a short-term reference
If you separate roles, misidentifying them can lead to
- Thinking a short-term line is an important line and reversing (contrary) trading there
- Missing an important line and placing a stop before it
and other judgment discrepancies occur.
Manual ways to tell them apart
1. Separate by color
Set colors for each timeframe. Example: daily red, 4-hour orange, 1-hour blue.
2. Separate by thickness and line type
Make higher timeframe lines thicker and lower timeframe lines thinner or use dotted lines.
3. Give them names
In the line properties, include the timeframe and role in the name, such as “H4_Resistance.” When you view the list in MT5’s Object List (Ctrl+B), you can immediately tell them apart.
4. Specify which timeframe to display
MT5 objects have a setting to select which timeframe to display. You can choose not to show higher-timeframe lines on lower-timeframe charts, etc.
Having rules in advance is important
Regardless of the method, the most important thing is to “draw with the same rule every time.” If you change colors based on your mood for the day, it won’t serve as a marker for recognition. It is recommended to create a simple table at the beginning.
Notes
Even if you separate by color or name, having too many lines can make it hard to distinguish. Adopting a habit of removing lines after use also helps keep the screen uncluttered.
Display the source timeframe on the label
When you use lines drawn on higher timeframes on lower timeframes, it is tedious to confirm each time which timeframe the line came from.
In TF Line Relay MT5, when synchronizing a line drawn on a higher timeframe to a lower timeframe, the target line displays a label of the original timeframe (e.g., H4). You can immediately see which timeframe the line originated from on the lower timeframe chart.
If you often use the same line across multiple charts, the behavior of TF Line Relay MT5 is also worth considering as a reference.