As in most Windows software, there is a menu option: File > Save as.

When you use this feature in BullCharts, what gets saved is the single price chart that is displayed, exactly as it looks. This includes all annotations (text, circles, line studies, indicators, etc.).

The next time you open this file, BullCharts might adjust the time scale and show you a different point in time. This is based on your setting under the option: Tools > Preferences > Time > "Scroll to the current time..." check box.

IDEA: But, think about this. Some people get used to saving a new file in whichever directory (ie. folder) that Windows offers. It might be the "My Documents" folder.

BUT, you do have total control over where you save these files. I now have hundreds of BullCharts files saved, and I make sure that they get saved in the same folder every time so I can find them easily.

I store my BullCharts files in this folder: C:\Program Files\BullSystems\BullCharts\My Files. This is close to the BullCharts program and system files, and makes it easier to back them up, and to not lose them.

And what about a useful filename? More about this in a future weekly TipSheet.

When you view a price chart, and you add a text annotation, for example, or a trendline or support line, etc., and then you view a different stock, and then redisplay the original stock, the text and lines that you added are redisplayed.

That is, when you add these price chart elements to a chart, they are automatically saved in the background, and re-displayed later when you view the same stock again.

How to turn IntelliCharts on/off?

Use the menu: Tools > Preferences > IntelliCharts (tab). If you check the box to turn IntelliCharts on, then the second check box becomes available to "Save different IntelliCharts for each time period". Note: See "IntelliCharts for each time period" discussion below.

A file is stored on your local hard drive which contains a description of the IntelliCharts "items" that you have drawn (for a detailed discussion of what items are drawn and under what circumstances they are saved, refer to the BullCharts Help topic and User Manual).

One file is stored for each "security" price chart. Also, one file is stored for each index chart. The filename is of the form: xxx.bc; where xxx is the security's stock code (or index code), and "bc" is the file name extension.

By default, these files are stored uniquely for each "user" of the computer. In Windows XP, they are stored in the following folder: c:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\BullSystems\BullCharts\BullCharts IntelliCharts\; where {username} is the username of the currently logged-on user.

If this option is turned on in the Tools>Preferences section ("...different..periods..."), then there is potentially one file stored for Daily, and one for Weekly, and one for Monthly, for each security. In this case, the filename for each file is of the form: xxx_Daily.bc or xxx_Weekly.bc or xxx_Monthly.bc. And if you are using live data and viewing intraday charts, then the same applies for all intraday timeframes - 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, Hourly, and 2hours.

How to clear away all the IntelliCharts items for one stock?

If you find that you have placed a number of elements onto a price chart, and you want an easy way to clear them, you can do the following. Simply find the relevant IntelliCharts file using Windows Explorer, and delete the file. The next time you view a chart for that stock in BullCharts, the IntelliCharts feature will automatically create a new IntelliCharts file.

These weekly newsletters for BullCharts* users are intended to be short, quick grabs of information. They are not a replacement for the monthly detailed eNewsletter that I publish, which might cover these same topics but in much more detail. The eNewsletters also cover Technical Analysis and Share Trading topics.

Also see the BullCharts on-line help (in BullCharts, hit the F1 key), and the User Guide Chapter 6 for lots more details on IntelliCharts (this is supplied with the software and copied to your hard drive as a PDF file).

Note: Any screen shots shown in this newsletter are snapped from BullCharts version 3.8 (which will be available very soon).

FEEDBACK? - I am very keen to receive feedback about these weekly BullCharts Tipsheets. Please feel free to email me with comments, or suggestions.

* - BullCharts is: "...an innovative charting and technical analysis system. It provides a feature rich and powerful set of tools with access to the latest strategies from local and overseas authors in analyzing the dynamics of the stock market."