Setup & First Steps
FX Volume shows real long/short positioning for 8 major currencies. The raw data is retail positioning, collected from brokers and delivered through SI Connect. FX Volume inverts it, so what you read on the chart is the position of the counterparty, the institutional side that takes the other side of the retail book. Unlike tick volume, these are actual positions, not a proxy.
Prerequisites: SI Connect must be running before you load FX Volume.
Setup:
- Start SI Connect on any chart first
- Wait for SI Connect to show "Connection established"
- Attach FX Volume to a chart (separate sub-window)
- The panel populates automatically once data arrives
Key Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| "Compare with X units back" | 8 | Compare current volume with X hours ago |
| "Back comparison in .." | Back in hours | Unit for comparison (hours or minutes) |
| "History values (buffers)" | Net Long % change | What the history lines in the sub-window show |
| "Show total volume history line (if possible)" | false | Show total market volume as additional line |
Choosing the Lookback Period
- 4-6 hours: Good for intraday trading, captures session-level shifts
- 8 hours (default): Balanced view covering about one full session
- 24 hours: Daily comparison, best for swing trading
Panel Views
Switch between views by clicking the view buttons:
| View | Shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Volume Total | Total volume per currency vs. reference period | Seeing which currencies attract interest |
| Ratios Change | Long/short ratio changes | Directional bias |
| Net Long | Absolute net long positions | Current positioning |
| Net Long % Change | Net long change in percentage | Momentum of positioning shifts |
| Net Long Delta | Change in net long positioning | Rate of change |
Recommended starting view: Net Long % Change, because it shows most clearly whether the counterparty positioning is shifting.
Reading the Data
The key insight from FX Volume: When the counterparty side builds long exposure in a currency AND that currency is strong in FX Power NG, the setup has the institutional side behind it, not just retail enthusiasm.
- Rising total volume + rising net long = the counterparty side is accumulating long positions, retail is on the short side
- Rising total volume + falling net long = the counterparty side is building short positions, retail is on the long side
- Falling total volume = decreasing interest, move may not sustain
Alert Configuration
FX Volume has the most extensive alert system of any SI product. Alert types include:
- Currency Index rise/fall
- Volume Total rise/fall
- Volume Long rise/fall (optional: only dominant side)
- Volume Short rise/fall
- Net Long % Change rise/fall
- Big Total Volume rise/fall
- Symbol Delta rise/fall
All alerts are off by default. Start with Net Long % Change alerts (2% threshold) and Total Volume alerts.
Practical Tips
- SI Connect must always run: Without it, FX Volume shows no data. Keep SI Connect on a dedicated chart.
- Net Long view is most useful: it shows the clearest picture of where the counterparty side stands.
- Multiple instances: Run two FX Volume instances with different lookback periods (e.g., 8h and 24h) for short-term and longer-term comparison.
- Currencies panel: Click currencies to deactivate ones you don't trade, reducing visual noise.
- Big Total: Enable this to see overall market activity, not just individual currencies.
- Weekend behavior: FX Volume pauses during weekends. The display will show the last available data.
Common Issues
"Please start SIConnect EA" - SI Connect is not running or not detected. Start it on any chart and wait for connection.
Panel is empty / no data - Check SI Connect status. If it shows "Connection lost", check your internet connection and that the SI server URL is allowed in MetaTrader options.
Data doesn't change - Either SI Connect lost connection, or it's the weekend (normal behavior).
"X units back input must be greater than 0": "Compare with X units back" was set to 0. Set it to at least 1.