Welcome to How To Use Workspaces
A workspace defines how all the windows in the program are laid out, what is in the windows, and how they are linked on all monitors.
Workspace Menu
There are two identical menus for workspaces, one under the Menu Circle and one under the Main Menu under the Layouts tab.
This Menu allows you to save, open, restore, or create a new workspace.
New/Open - Opens the new workspace selector where you can choose the number of window and if you want a watchlist.
Open Workspace - This opens a file dialog where you can select the name of the workspace you want to load. This will load a new workspace and use the symbols and timespans you saved the workspace with.
Open as Layout - This opens a file dialog where you can select the name of the workspace you want to load. This will load a new workspace, however, the new workspace will keep the symbols and timespans from the prior workspace.
Save Workspace - This will bring up a message box asking if you want to save the current workspace, clicking yes will save the current layout of the workspace.
Save Workspace As - This brings up a dialog that allows you to give the current workspace a new name. Click save to save the workspace under the new name.
Reset Workspace - This will reload the current workspace to the state it was at the last time it was saved. This is useful if you mess up your workspace and have not saved it yet.
Layouts
A layout defines how windows are laid out on a single monitor. You can change how all the windows are distributed on any your monitors quickly using the layout menu under the "Main Menu".
Each icon represents the number of charts, how they are organized, and whether it has a watchlist. The light blue shows the charts in the layout, the red shows where a watchlist will be placed. The top row list all the layouts without watchlists, the lower row with a watchlist on the left. If you have more than one monitor you will get a window asking you which monitor you want to put the new layout on.
The monitor number is the same as under your windows display settings. You can put a different layout on up to 6 monitors.
Desktop Layouts - These layouts are recommended to use because they keep all the windows in a frame for each monitor that is easy to adjust and move around. You can move it or resize it just by using the outer window.
Floating Layouts - This layout will look the same as a desktop layout but the windows will not be grouped, they will be independently floating, so changing one window will not change the others.
The prebuilt layouts will only setup charts and a single watchlist window, if you want to add other program modules to your workspace you will need to learn how to insert windows into the desktop.
Window Manipulation
If you open a new window from the components menu or have a prior floating window you can add into a desktop using the placement arrows. Just drag the title of the floating window into a layout or another window. You will see the following arrows appear.
There is a cross of arrows in the center surrounded by four more arrows farther out. These blue squares determine how the dragged window is added to the layout.
Adding a Window to Another Window as a Tab
When you drag a window and over one of these squares the program will show you in blue where the window we be added to the layout.
In this case the mouse cursor is over the very center square, releasing the mouse at this point will add the window being dragged to the window under the mouse as a tab.
Add a Window to the side of the Current Window
If you drop the chart when the mouse is over the arrows directly around the tab square it will add the window to the top, bottom, right or left of the window under the mouse.
When the mouse is release over the close in right arrow the current window is added to the right of the window under the mouse.
After you add the window you can move the mouse to the window border until the cursor changes as shown in the picture above. Hold the left mouse button down and drag the window border to size the new window.
Add a Window to the Side of the Entire Layout
If you drop the chart when the mouse is over the farthest out arrows the window will be added to the top, bottom, right or left of the entire layout.
Since we will add the window to the right side of the entire layout it will be placed on the right side of both the prior chart window and also the chat window, unlike the prior example where we added the window only to the right of the window under the mouse.
Using these basic insertion techniques you can create a layout of almost any complexity since you can place windows inside of windows.
Workspace Tips And Tricks
Close Box - In the upper right hand corner of each window is a pin and a close box. Click on the x to permanently close a window.
Pin - Click on the pin the upper right corner of the window to temporarily minimize the window down to a tab in the layout
After the window is pinned to the layout as a tab, just click the tab to expand the window back to its former position.
Full Screen - if you double click in the middle of any window (except the chat window) it will expand to fill the desktop, double clicking it again will return the window to its former position. You can also click in the window and choose "Main Menu" ==> "Chart" ==> "Full Screen" to toggle the window to full screen and back. To toggle the chat window between full screen and its normal position use "Right Click Menu" ==> "Toggle Full Screen".
Double Click Window Title - If you double click on a window title it will pop out of the layout and become a floating window, double click again and it will return to its position in the layout.
Chart Titles - This only applies to chart windows but you can toggle the study title off and on in the chart windows by clicking "Main Menu" ==> "Chart" ==> "Chart Titles".
Ask To Save Workspace - When you open a new workspace it will ask you if you want to save the old workspace. You can turn off this message box "Menu Circle" ==> "Preferences" ==> "General" ==> "Ask To Save Workspaces" .
Default Chart - You can change how a default chart appears when opening a new chart window by selecting the values under "Menu Circle" ==> "Preferences" ==> "Default Chart".
Theme - You can quickly change the entire look and feel of the workspace by changing the theme of the program at "Menu Circle" ==> "Preferences" ==> "Program Setup" ==> "Theme - Display". Just select a theme from the pull down in the property box. See "Creating a Theme" to make your theme.
Main Menu
Minimize the Main Menu - You can right click in the menu to minimize or keep the main menu open. This change will save with the workspace.
Show Quick Access toolbar Above the Menu - You have the option to show your personal toolbar (see How To Build A Toolbar") above or below the Main Menu by selecting the correct option in the main menu right click menu. This change will save with the workspace.
Linking
You can link specific chart or book windows to the symbols in a watchlist, quote list, prism, or search list. Just right click in a watchlist, quote list, prism, or search list and select "Link". A window will popup with the current chart and book windows.
Just click the one you want to link and click close. Whenever you click on the symbol in the list all the linked windows will be changed to that symbol. The links will be saved with the workspace.
Mouse Drag Drop
Blue Square - In many windows there is a blue square in the upper left corner. If you hold the left mouse button down in the square and drag it to another window and then release the mouse it will move the symbols from the first window to the second window.
Template - If you have one chart setup the way you want and now want to copy that to the other windows you can drag and drop the template icon in the chart title to another chart window .
Study - If you want to quickly copy a study from one chart to another you can drag and drop the study icon in front of the study title in the chart title to another chart window.