What Makes AutoBars Revolutionary

AutoBars doesn’t just adapt to volatility—it anticipates it. While traditional bar types react to what already happened, AutoBars actively manages bar formation to keep your charts clean and tradeable regardless of market speed.

The Problem with Traditional Adaptive Bars

First-generation adaptive bar types scaled based on simple volatility metrics. When markets exploded, they still created dozens of bars in seconds. You couldn’t react fast enough, and your charts became unreadable noise. You needed the adaptation most when it failed you most.

How AutoBars Solves This

AutoBars uses advanced frequency monitoring and predictive gap-fill logic. The system doesn’t just measure how volatile the market is—it measures how fast bars are actually forming and prevents bar explosions before they happen. When price gaps large distances, AutoBars intelligently scales the gap-fill step size to maintain readable bar counts.

Practical Application

How to use AutoBars effectively in your trading.

Initial Setup

Start with your instrument’s typical tick range. For most futures:

• High volatility instruments (NQ, CL): 2-4 tick baseline
• Medium volatility (ES, YM): 2-3 tick baseline
• Lower volatility (GC, ZB): 1-2 tick baseline

AutoBars handles everything from there. During normal trading, bars form at your baseline rate. During explosive moves, AutoBars automatically scales up to prevent bar overload. During quiet periods, it scales back down for maximum sensitivity.

Real-World Performance

AutoBars excels in the conditions that break other bar types:

• News Events: Scales up instantly to prevent chart chaos
• Market Opens: Manages initial volatility surge automatically
• Breakouts: Creates readable bars even during explosive moves
• Consolidation: Maintains sensitivity without false triggers

Chart Timeframe

AutoBars work on any data series. Many traders run multiple AutoBar charts with different baseline settings to see various timeframe perspectives simultaneously. Each chart adapts independently to maintain optimal bar formation.

Combining with Other Tools

AutoBars provide the foundation. Layer on TradeAdapt indicators like MultiAdapt Pro or Tracker for complete market analysis. The intelligent bar structure ensures your indicators respond optimally even during market extremes.

Advantages Over Traditional Bar Types

vs. Fixed Range/Renko Bars

Fixed bar types create too many bars during volatility spikes and too few during quiet periods. AutoBars maintain consistent formation rates automatically. You get clean structure without constant manual adjustments.

vs. First-Generation Adaptive Bars

Legacy adaptive bars still create bar explosions during fast moves because they react after the damage is done. AutoBars prevent explosions proactively using frequency monitoring and intelligent gap-fill scaling.

vs. Tick/Volume Bars

Fixed tick and volume bars generate overwhelming bar counts during high activity. AutoBars intelligently throttle bar formation while preserving all important price action through smart gap-filling.

Technical Details

Real-Time Intelligence

Frequency Monitoring: AutoBars track actual bar formation rates in rolling time windows, not just volatility metrics. This allows proactive scaling before bar counts explode.

Gap-Aware Scaling: When price gaps significantly, AutoBars dynamically adjust the gap-fill step size based on gap magnitude. Large gaps use larger steps to prevent creating dozens of bars at once.

Smart Cooldowns: The system uses intelligent cooldown periods between scaling adjustments to prevent oscillation while maintaining responsiveness.

Historical Consistency

Historical Data: Uses your baseline tick setting for consistent backtesting and strategy development. Historical bars maintain predictable, stable characteristics.

Real-Time Data: Applies full auto-scaling logic with multipliers from 1x to 5x based on market conditions. The system seamlessly transitions between scaling levels.

Volume Distribution

When AutoBars creates multiple bars from a large price move, volume is distributed intelligently across the created bars. This maintains accurate volume-per-bar statistics for volume-based analysis.

Best Practices

Starting Out

• Begin with 2 tick baseline for your instrument
• Watch how AutoBars handles both quiet and volatile periods
• Notice the consistent bar formation during news events
• Adjust baseline only if your trading style demands it

Multiple Timeframes

• Scalping: 1-2 tick baseline (maximum sensitivity with protection)
• Day Trading: 2-4 tick baseline (balanced structure)
• Swing: 6-8 tick baseline (major moves with automatic filtering)

Strategy Development

Backtest using historical data first for consistent testing conditions. Then verify behavior in real-time where auto-scaling demonstrates its true power during volatile periods.

System Requirements

Software

• NinjaTrader 8 (any edition)
• Real-time or historical data feed
• No special permissions required

Installation

1. Import the AutoBars BarsType file through NinjaTrader
2. Restart NinjaTrader if prompted
3. AutoBars will appear in your available bar types
4. Apply to any chart with your chosen tick setting

Free with Any Subscription

AutoBars are included free with any TradeAdapt subscription. No separate purchase required. Once you’re a member, AutoBars are yours to use on unlimited charts.

Getting Started

Sign up for any TradeAdapt plan to get immediate access to AutoBars along with your chosen indicators and systems.