IB TWS too complex

Quote from Kicking:

TWS is way , way too complex.
The people who have worked on its design or made the decisions in the past 3 years are obviously idiots.
you must be one of those people that find 'combing their hair' a task ...
 
Quote from Kicking:

TWS is way , way too complex.
The people who have worked on its design or made the decisions in the past 3 years are obviously idiots.

TWS is not too complex but it is cumbersome and somewhat clunky for what it COULD do. They really need to purchase a better system or integrate buttontrader into it. I thought IB purchased a company awhile back that had some software they were going to integrate. It has been awhile and maybe it was for their hedge fund side.

I don't know, but it seems to me that if an individual can write a better front-end on their own for IB, that most everyone agrees is hands down better, then IB can probably do better than they have. TWS has not really evolved all that much in the last 7-8 years.
 
Quote from learner2007:

>OldTrader

Interesting. I thought you had a total of 20 bid and 20 ask levels
visible in BookTrader. I guess 5 is the norm everywhere.

Sorry for so many questions, but with your settings at 40 rows, is your DOM also set to show all 40 rows? I guess that would make the ladder about 12 inches tall, and lessen the chances of the price ever running above or below the border of BookTrader.
As I remember that is what I did years ago. But as it took up so much screen space I cut the number of rows to 12,and the last price goes up or down 1 or 2 rows but all bid/ask levels are constantly visible. What I trade is much more volatile than ES and yet even with only 12 rows all bids and asks are always in the center and I save a lot of screen space.

Anyway, if you would be so kind as to tell me if you have all 40 rows showing, it will clear thingsup and I won't bother you any more.

Thank you,
learner

As I mentioned before, I use the expanded view. In that view all 40 rows show. If I use the regular view, only about 25 rows show, with the rest taken up by things like tool bar, quote panel, etc.

I currently trade with 4 monitors. BookTrader takes up roughly half of one monitor. That monitor has a display area that is about 11 inches high. BookTrader is stretched to use that entire height.

I'm going to try to attach a screenshot of that monitor. Hopefully it will work.

OldTrader
 

Attachments

Quote from OldTrader:

As I mentioned before, I use the expanded view. In that view all 40 rows show. If I use the regular view, only about 25 rows show, with the rest taken up by things like tool bar, quote panel, etc.

I currently trade with 4 monitors. BookTrader takes up roughly half of one monitor. That monitor has a display area that is about 11 inches high. BookTrader is stretched to use that entire height.

I'm going to try to attach a screenshot of that monitor. Hopefully it will work.

OldTrader

>OldTrader

Thank you very much for your reply and for going to the trouble
of sending the attachment.

With that large display I now see why you are not experiencing the problem caused by the change that was made to the Re-center function in 891.

I use 4 or 5 monitors too, but all screens are fully filled. So I must make BookTrader as small as possible. Attached is an example of the size I'm using with version 888. All 10 levels are always visible, never running above or below the borders. This is the same design I tried with 891.5, but, as mentioned previously, the Bids and Asks kept running off the ladder. Hope IB decides to revert to the previous system.

Thank you again,
learner

PS If you don't mind my asking, how old is the 'Old'Trader. I'm 63 and have been trading for about 35 years. Reading the posts on ET gives me the feeling that I might be the oldest of all(not that that makes me feel good or anything!)
 

Attachments

Quote from learner2007:

>OldTrader

Thank you very much for your reply and for going to the trouble
of sending the attachment.

With that large display I now see why you are not experiencing the problem caused by the change that was made to the Re-center function in 891.

I use 4 or 5 monitors too, but all screens are fully filled. So I must make BookTrader as small as possible. Attached is an example of the size I'm using with version 888. All 10 levels are always visible, never running above or below the borders. This is the same design I tried with 891.5, but, as mentioned previously, the Bids and Asks kept running off the ladder. Hope IB decides to revert to the previous system.

Thank you again,
learner

PS If you don't mind my asking, how old is the 'Old'Trader. I'm 63 and have been trading for about 35 years. Reading the posts on ET gives me the feeling that I might be the oldest of all(not that that makes me feel good or anything!)

I don't think I'd want your setup, because if the future was volatile enough, and the ladder functioning correctly, then it would be jumping back and forth constantly. That would disturb me I think. Either way, BookTrader still seems to center itself properly, although not as often as what you're talking about. Maybe having fewer rows creates too much of a demand on BookTrader. Just guessing of course.

I'm 63 as well. 64 in late June. I started trading when I was 20, with a fake ID. LOL.

OldTrader
 
Quote from stevegee58:

I use the naked TWS for stocks and options and it's just fine though you have to get used to it.

I just put the stock I like on a line. When I want to buy, I click the ask value and when I want to short I click the bid value. Once the order is created under the quote line, I adjust the size and attach my auto-stop. Then I click "T"
Clearly, you're not daytrading
 
Quote from OldTrader:

I don't think I'd want your setup, because if the future was volatile enough, and the ladder functioning correctly, then it would be jumping back and forth constantly. That would disturb me I think. Either way, BookTrader still seems to center itself properly, although not as often as what you're talking about. Maybe having fewer rows creates too much of a demand on BookTrader. Just guessing of course.

I'm 63 as well. 64 in late June. I started trading when I was 20, with a fake ID. LOL.

OldTrader


If you can afford using so much space for BookTrader, your way is just fine. But if you should ever be cramped for space you might want to give my setup a try. I've used both, and can't imagine ever changing back. But you should wait to test it out until IB changes back to the pre-891 system or creates an option to do so.

>64 in late June.
You win by 6 weeks. I'll have to live with being number 2.
I'll keep your secret about the fake ID. But I'm sure the statue of limitations has run out by now!

All the best,
learner
 
02-06-09 09:06 PM

Quote from stevegee58:

I use the naked TWS for stocks and options and it's just fine though you have to get used to it.

I just put the stock I like on a line. When I want to buy, I click the ask value and when I want to short I click the bid value. Once the order is created under the quote line, I adjust the size and attach my auto-stop. Then I click "T"


Clearly, you're not daytrading - trader nik
________________________________
I wouldn't jump to conclusions.
if it is naked you know what u are getting..
perhaps the poster is a believer in KISS and is doing extremely well.
 
Quote from JonathanMtl:

Just keep using Ninja trader.

What he said.

You can use NinjaTrader with your broker AND TWS. (only a couple more dollars a month for multiple broker access) It is perfect for futures and fx trading and it is far superior a tool to use with TWS than anything else, and since you are familiar with it, learning curve is minimal.

You know the phrase: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Quote from cstfx:

What he said.

You can use NinjaTrader with your broker AND TWS. (only a couple more dollars a month for multiple broker access) It is perfect for futures and fx trading and it is far superior a tool to use with TWS than anything else, and since you are familiar with it, learning curve is minimal.

You know the phrase: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

You are saying that Interactive Brokers allows you to use another companies trading software and that trades get cleared through IB? If this is true How do I connect ninja trader to interactive brokers? And is the feed coming from IB or thrugh zenfire? Kind of new to all this HYBRID software configuration?
 
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