Getting acquainted with ATAS platform. Review of functionality

If you are reading this, you are probably looking for ways to profit from price movements on exchanges. Our platform can help you with that. However, keep in mind that ATAS is not a magic tool with a “Profit” button but a reliable and indispensable instrument for professional trading.

Each article in the series consists of two parts: a video overview and a text section. We recommend starting with the video and then using the text material, enhanced with screenshots and links to helpful resources, to reinforce your knowledge.

The first article covers an overview of the platform.

Here, we will briefly explain:

• what ATAS can do; 
• how to start using the platform;
• what components are included.

The purpose of this overview is to demonstrate how the powerful tools of the ATAS platform provide a significant advantage in trading.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team, we will be happy to help.

• Visit atas.net.
• Register by providing your current email.
• After registering, log in to your account. In the Download section, you will find a link to download the installer.

• License pricing. Licenses are often available at a discount during promotions.
• ATAS YouTube channel. Webinars with professional traders, and video overviews of ATAS platform features.
• ATAS blog. Useful articles on trading and volume analysis.

Be sure to check out the Knowledge Base. It contains comprehensive instructions for indicators, modules, account connections, quotes, and other platform elements. You can find:

• Answers to questions about installing the ATAS platform
• FAQs about license pricing

• watch animations showing how to perform basic actions (e.g., opening a chart, connecting quotes);
• learn how to use indicators;
• read helpful articles and watch videos about trading for beginners;
• use pre-installed templates;
• reach out to support or join the community.

To receive real-time data, you need to set up connections with exchanges/brokers. 

To manage connectors, click the Connections button. In the window that opens:

• Click Connect to activate an existing connection;
• Click the Gear icon to configure the connection;
• Click Add to create a new connection.

In the connection manager, check the Auto Connect box to ensure the connection is automatically activated when the ATAS platform loads.

Useful links:

• Instructions for All Available Connections in the Knowledge Base

Once the quotes are connected, you can take full advantage of Smart DOM, Smart Tape, Chart, and other modules, which we will discuss next.

In the Smart DOM, you can see limit buy (1) and sell (2) orders.

• displaying profiles (3);
• showing your open trades and orders;
• tracking executed trades on the exchange (4);
• saving and loading various templates. 

A key advantage of the Smart DOM is its trading functionality. 

You can place orders by clicking on the Bid and Ask columns. To cancel an order, click the X at the bottom. You can also place market orders by clicking MKT at the bottom of the columns. 

For trader’s convenience: 

• the top panel includes account selection, trade volume selection, and an exit strategy function;
• the bottom panel has buttons for reversing or closing all positions.

Useful links:

• Smart DOM in the Knowledge Base
• How to Trade in the DOM

Unlike similar tools, the Smart Tape module in the ATAS platform presents data streams in an easy-to-analyze format by grouping similar orders (aggregation algorithm). 

• Red text indicates market sells, while green text indicates buys. 
• Blue text highlights out-of-spread trades. 
• The +/- column shows the number of consecutive Up/Down ticks. For example, if the price was 100 and the next trade is at 101, you will see a “+”. If another trade occurs at 101, the “+” remains. If the following trade is at 102, it changes to “++”. If a trade occurs at 101 afterward, you will see a “-“.

Other features include:

• a “freeze tape” button that enables you to pause the tape to analyze specific sections closely;
• filters to eliminate market noise;
• indicators for tape speed and buying/selling strength;
• flexible customization for colors and templates.

A key feature is that Smart Tape allows you to trade directly. You can use it as a standalone module or alongside other tools. For convenience, the top panel includes account selection, trade volume options, and exit strategy functions. The bottom panel has buttons for reversing or closing all positions.

Useful links:

• Description of the Smart Tape Module in the Knowledge Base

Useful links:

• How to Use the Spread Tape
• Spread Tape in the Knowledge Base
• Overview of the All Prices Module in the Knowledge Base
• Article: Creating Key Levels Using the All Prices Module

Useful links:

• Setting Up Alerts
• Article About News Trading

With ATAS Market Replay, you can:

• replay historical data as if the trading were happening in real time.
• trade on a demo Replay account.

To start using ATAS Market Replay (see the screenshot below):

1. Click the Replay button in the main menu;
2. Configure the settings: activate Replay mode, select the chart, choose the data type, and select the time period;
3. Click Play.

• supports cryptocurrencies, futures, and stocks;
• allows you to adjust playback speed;
• works with chart modules, Smart DOM, and others;
• supports footprints, indicators, algorithmic strategies, and other tools from the ATAS arsenal.

Useful links:

• Article on the Market Replay Module
• Description in the Knowledge Base

1. Menu overview.
2. Cluster charts.
3. Chart Trader.

To open the module, click the Chart button (1) in the main menu, and then select the instrument whose chart will be displayed.

To work with the chart, you have:

• upper left menu (2);
• upper right menu (3);
• settings manager (4);
• lower right menu (5).

Overview of Chart Module Settings and Menu

Settings in the upper left menu enable you to: 

• Adjust the timeframe (including custom and unique ones).
• Set the chart type.
• Activate drawing objects (lines, profiles, labels).
• Add/adjust indicators (both classic and advanced, totaling over 100).
• Connect automatic chart strategies (here you can access developed trading strategies for algorithmic trading).
• Activate the magnifying glass.
• Use chart templates, which can be stored in a list or saved as separate files on your hard drive.

Using the upper right menu, you can:

• Adjust the vertical scale (level of detail).
• Take a screenshot of the chart. After pressing, a browser page will automatically open with a link to the screenshot. 
• Assign a group to the chart.
• Expand the chart to full screen, close it, or pin it.
• Access the tool manager. 

Using the lower right menu, you can:

• Launch the Chart Trader panel for trading.
• Launch the DOM Trader software for scalping.

In the settings manager, there are four tabs:

• Visual settings (change background, text, candles, lines). 
• Cluster settings (cluster background color, text size in clusters, and many other parameters discussed in the third article).
• Trading parameters settings, where you can change marker colors for trades, positions, and other visualizations.
• Template settings. 

Tip: For more convenient operation, use the context menu, which has essential functions. To access it, simply right-click anywhere on the chart.

Useful links:

• Overview of the Chart Module in the Knowledge Base
• Recommended Templates

1. Stretch the horizontal time axis with the mouse (or scroll the mouse wheel).
2. Select in the upper menu > Mode > Clusters.
3. Press Shift+K.

This will open an additional menu on the left (shown as number 1 in the chart below), which allows you to quickly choose the optimal footprint display option:

1. By volume.

2. By the number of executed trades regardless of volume. For example, a trade might have a volume of 15 contracts, 5 contracts, or 1 contract, but it will still count as one trade. 

3. Bid Ask mode shows buy and sell trades separately. ATAS has a special algorithm that splits incoming trades from the exchange into buys and sells and highlights them with the corresponding color. Aggressive sell trades are shown in red on the left, and aggressive buy trades are shown in green on the right. Aggressive trades are matched with passive limit orders. Thus, you can see how many limit buy orders were executed in red on the left, and limit sell orders in green on the right. 

4. By delta. Delta shows the balance between aggressive buys and sells and highlights it with the appropriate color. If there were more aggressive buyers than market sellers at this price and in this candle, you will see a cell highlighted in the corresponding color and the number of contracts that match this balance.

Key settings include:

• Content – select the information to display within the clusters;
• Mode – choose different ways to display this information;
• Color Scheme – select color schemes, including gradients;
• Level Settings (Point of Control, Value Area);
• Proportion settings.

Useful links:

• Getting Acquainted With ATAS. Cluster Charts
• Article on Cluster Analysis
• Cluster Chart Settings in the Knowledge Base

• By pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+I.
• From the top menu bar.
• By right-clicking to open the context menu and selecting “Indicators.”

The indicator manager has three main areas (marked by numbers below):

1. A list of available indicators (over 240 indicators, with new ones constantly being added). To add an indicator to the chart, select it from the available list (1) and click the “Add” button.
2. A list of added indicators on the chart.
3. Settings for the selected indicator (the picture shows the settings for the profile indicator). When you change the settings for an indicator already loaded on the chart, ATAS will immediately apply the changes.

When you select an indicator from the list on the left side of the manager, the current settings for that indicator will appear on the right. Under the settings, there are links to instructions for each indicator — click them to read the detailed description in the Knowledge Base.

• Bid, Ask, Delta, Volume. This group includes indicators for vertical volume, delta, cumulative delta (which shows the dynamic change in the balance of buyers and sellers).
• Clusters, Profiles, Levels. This group features the powerful Cluster Search indicator for working with clusters. It also includes volume profile and its derivative indicators for dynamic levels and maximum levels, as well as cluster statistics. 
• Order Flow. This group includes the Big Trade indicator, which detects large trades in the tape and displays them directly on the chart, whether aggregated or individual. There is also the Dom Levels indicator, which shows order book levels directly on the chart. Market Power, Speed of Tape, Tape Patterns, and Order Flow Indicator are derived tools from the tape used to analyze the order flow. The Speed of Tape indicator is particularly noteworthy. 
• Other. This group includes the Depth of Market, the External Chart, which displays candles for the selected period over the regular chart. Then you can find user-created custom indicators, RTIndicator, and HRanges. You can set session colors and differentiate sessions by colors. 
• Technical Indicators. This group contains classic indicators such as RSI, MACD, and CCI, as well as the margin zones indicator. The Open Interest indicator (for Moscow Exchange futures) shows real-time trader entries and exits. These indicators can be combined with volume analysis indicators. 

Indicators are discussed in detail in the separate article Getting Acquainted With ATAS. Indicators

Useful links:

• Blog Articles Tagged With “Indicators”
• Indicator’s Description in the Knowledge Base

• by clicking the corresponding button in the bottom right menu;
• by pressing the Ctrl+T key combination.

The Chart Trader interface will open to the right of the chart:

Additionally, the panel features (as shown in the screenshot above):

1. A block of control buttons. The function of each button is indicated by its label, specifying the trading operation it controls. You can assign hotkeys to these buttons for quicker access. Below the order control buttons, you will find the current status of open positions. 
2. A block of exit strategies to automatically set stop-loss and take-profit orders. For instance, you can configure trailing stops to automatically adjust based on a specified price increment, allowing profits to grow.

ATAS offers flexibility in tailoring the trading process to suit individual needs. Discover the method that best aligns with your preferences for both efficiency and security. For a more detailed exploration of Chart Trader’s trading capabilities, refer to the fifth article Getting Acquainted With ATAS. Trading Advantages.

Useful links:

• Knowledge Base. How to Trade from a Chart in the ATAS Platform
• Article Exit Strategies in Trading

The module includes tabs where users can access: 

• their trade journal, 
• the Equity curve, 
• order information and execution details.

Additionally, there is information about accounts and open positions. Logs record ATAS program actions. They are necessary to monitor program operations.

All these data are thoughtfully organized in one place to ensure traders can easily use them.

1. Workspaces, which are created during platform use and saved upon shutdown. 
2. Layouts. You can add charts and platform modules to the layouts and switch between them for quick loading of selected windows. This is helpful for users with limited monitor space. 
3. Color theme. You can choose between light and dark themes. 
4. Additional settings.

You can adjust the time zone for displaying time on charts and other platform tools. Clicking on the Commissions button allows you to set commission values for all instruments or individually, ensuring accurate tracking of your trading results.

In the Common Settings, you can adjust the value area percentage and remove the limit on displayed levels in the order book by setting it to 0. You can also clear the cache accumulated within the platform from here.

It is perfectly normal if you feel overwhelmed by its complexity and depth upon reading our introductory article on ATAS. We have provided a brief overview of a rather complex software product.

Progress step by step, using the “Getting Acquainted With ATAS” series articles as your guide. If you have less than a year of experience in financial markets, you will learn a lot from these materials. In upcoming articles, we will provide detailed descriptions and instructions to answer all your questions and help you build a comprehensive understanding.

What is next? Download the ATAS platform demo version and start practicing with its capabilities. Keep exploring the introductory materials by moving on to the second article Getting Acquainted With ATAS. Working With Charts.