Up/Down Indicator - Durbtrade

10 Sep 2021

A simple but unique indicator to show ONLY whether there is an increase or a decrease in price compared to the previous value.
Also includes a customizable SMA or EMA based "Smoothing Length" variable,
allowing the indicator to show whether the SMA or the EMA of the price
is up or down compared to the previous value.
An offset option is also included if you need it.

Settings :



Personal thoughts :

I wanted to have an indicator that showed ONLY whether the price is UP or DOWN from the previous value.
My logic was that I could have a more accurate perception of general up or down trend direction
if I removed the AMOUNT of increase or decrease happening from moment to moment over time.

From there, I added the SMA/EMA "Smoothing Length" and "Smoothing Type" variables into the script.
By increasing the value of the smoothing length above 1,
the indicator act as a color-changing moving average, except without showing an actual value.

"Smooth Length" acts just like the length of any other moving average...

When the value of the "Smooth Length" is = 1, the indicator shows whether PRICE is up or down.
When the value of the "Smooth Length" is = 50, the indicator shows whether the MOVING AVERAGE with a length of 50 is up or down.

When the value of the "Smooth Type" is = 1, the indicator is SMA based.
When the value of the "Smooth Type" is = 2, the indicator is EMA based.

As you can see in the main chart above, or in the picture below, I show the indicator in 2 different ways...
The indicator on the top shows price up/down action,
and the indicator on the bottom shows the 50 SMA up/down action :



Other key points :

The indicator height can be smashed down as small as possible and still remain 100% functional...
which is very important when chart real-estate is limited.

Here is an example of my main layout setup, with the Up/Down indicator on the top left :



As you can see, it takes up very little space, but still remains fully functional.

In the example above, I have it overlayed on the left chart price panel,
with the price visibility turned off.
If it is overlayed on the price panel like so, and you want to see both the indicator and price,
simply turn the price visibility on to see both.
Since the indicator displays itself merely by changing the color of the background,
layer order has no effect, and the indicator is always drawn in the background.

The Up/Down indicator can also be used in conjunction with other candle types
that sometimes display candle color differently than standard candles, such as heikin-ashi candles.
Just take note that the colors of the indicator may not match the colors of the heikin-ashi candles.

Finally, I looked very hard to find an indicator like this on TradingView, and found absolutely nothing.
I know that it is a simple concept, but I'm honestly surprised I couldn't find anything like it.
I have been using it for awhile now, and I'm proud of the results...
therefore, I'd like to share it with the community, along with my previously published indicators,
in the hope that you find it useful!

Outro :

A) As with my previous indicators,
this one was written while keeping information, color, clarity, chart real-estate, and customization in mind.
B) It is optimized to be displayed on all display setups...
for use on your own personal television, laptop, or cellular phone screen...
and on all chart zoom levels and layout styles.
C) Please feel free to comment your thoughts, critiques, or suggestions. They are all very helpful!
D) Check out my previous pine script indicators if you like this one. They work really well together.
E) I hope that you find this script useful.
F) Enjoy!

// Durbtrade