Volume profile fixed range vs visible range: when to use each
Volume profile visible range vs fixed range, side by side: what each covers, how SuperCharting builds them, and how to draw a fixed range volume profile.
The difference between a fixed range and a visible range volume profile is who decides the range. A fixed range volume profile covers exactly the bars between a start point and an end point that you set, so it stays the same however you scroll. A visible range profile covers whatever you are looking at, so it changes as the chart moves. In SuperCharting the visible range profile cannot read your screen, so it covers the newest N bars instead, and you set N yourself. The volume profile page lists all the profile tools; this page compares these two.
The two side by side
| Fixed range | Visible range | |
|---|---|---|
| Range | Between a start and an end you set | The newest Visible bars bars (300 by default) |
| New bars | Not added, unless Extend right is on | Added; the range slides forward with the chart |
| Scrolling or zooming | No effect | No effect, because the range is the newest N bars |
| Where it is drawn | Beside the first bar of the range (Placement: Left) | Against the right edge (Placement: Right) |
| Extend POC, VAH, VAL right | Available | Not available |
| Ways to add it | Indicator, or the Fixed range volume profile drawing | Indicator only |
Both indicators are built the same way as every profile in the Profiles chip. Each chart bar is split into its intrabars (1-minute candles on charts up to 15 minutes, 5-minute candles up to 2 hours, 15-minute candles on 4-hour and daily charts), and each candle's volume is spread over the rows its range covers. The POC is the busiest row, and the value area grows out from it until it holds the chosen share of volume (70% by default). Both use 24 rows by default.
What "visible range" means in SuperCharting
On other charting platforms a visible range profile follows the screen exactly. A script in SuperCharting has no access to the chart view, so Visible range volume profile uses its Visible bars input instead, 300 by default and anything from 10 to 5,000. Set it to roughly the number of bars you normally look at.
A worked example: on NSE:NIFTY1! 15m, the cash session from 09:15 to 15:30 holds 25 bars. At 300 bars the profile covers the latest 12 sessions. If you want only this week's trade, set Visible bars to 125.
When a fixed range is the better tool
Use a fixed range when the stretch of time has a meaning that does not depend on today's view:
- After an event. Profile the move from the day NSE:RELIANCE reported results to now, and see where volume built up on the way.
- A base or range. Profile three weeks of sideways trade before a breakout. The POC and value area of that base are often drawn forward as levels to watch.
- Comparing two legs. Draw one profile on the rally and another on the pullback. Their POCs show where each leg did most of its business.
- A fixed record. The profile does not change when you scroll, so it makes a stable reference for notes and screenshots. A VWAP anchored at the same start bar pairs well with it.
When a visible range is the better tool
Use a visible range when you want a quick read of the current context without choosing anything:
- A first look at a chart you have just opened. The profile always matches the recent stretch.
- Day-to-day trading from a watchlist, where you move between symbols and have no time to draw ranges.
- Finding recent high-volume and low-volume areas as price approaches them, for example on XAUUSD 1h.
The trade-off is that the profile keeps changing. A POC that looked important yesterday can slide away as old bars drop out of the newest N. If a level matters, note it or switch to a fixed range.
Choosing the range matters more than the type
A profile only describes the bars you give it. Two fixed ranges on the same chart can have different POCs, and a range that cuts through the middle of a move says little. Start and end on bars that mean something, such as a swing low, a gap day or the first bar after news. Also watch the row size. With 24 rows, a range of 1,200 points on NSE:NIFTY1! gives rows 50 points tall, which blurs detail. Switch Rows layout to Ticks per row, or use a shorter range, when you need finer rows.
How to draw a fixed range volume profile in SuperCharting
With the drawing tool
- Open the chart, for example NSE:RELIANCE on 1h.
- Open the drawing toolbar's Forecasting and measurement tools group and pick Fixed range volume profile under Volume-based.
- Click the start bar, then click the end bar. The profile is drawn across that range, with the busiest row marked by a line.
- Select the drawing later to move its points. See drawing tools for how drawings are edited.
The drawing is the quick route, with limits. For a per-price view of single candles instead, see volume candles and footprint. It is built from the chart's own bars, not intrabars, it always uses 24 rows, and it shows up and down volume and the POC line but no value area lines. The Anchored volume profile tool beside it needs one click and runs to the latest bar.
With the indicator
- Click Indicators, open the Profiles chip and click Fixed range volume profile.
- With the default settings it profiles all the loaded history. To limit it, open Settings and edit Start time and End time. These are plain time-stamp fields rather than date pickers, so typing them by hand is fiddly.
- Tick Extend right if you want the profile to keep growing with new bars after the end time. Tick Extend POC right, Extend VAH right or Extend VAL right to carry those levels forward.
- Click Ok.
For most people the drawing is easier for choosing a range, and the indicator is better when you want the value area lines, the intrabar detail, a Volume mode of Total or Delta, or a Developing POC line.
The visible range profile
- Click Indicators, open the Profiles chip and click Visible range volume profile.
- Open Settings and set Visible bars, for example 125 for a week of 15-minute NSE bars.
- Click Ok. The profile sits against the right edge.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, fixed range or visible range?
Neither is better. Fixed range suits a stretch with a meaning, such as an earnings move or a base. Visible range suits a fast look at the recent stretch.
Why does my visible range profile not change when I zoom?
In SuperCharting it covers the newest N bars set by Visible bars, not the bars on screen. Change that number to change the range.
Can I get VAH and VAL on the fixed range drawing?
No. The drawing shows the POC only. Use the Fixed range volume profile indicator for value area lines.
Does the volume profile need volume data?
Yes. A symbol without volume, such as some indexes, gives an empty profile. Use a traded symbol, for example NSE:NIFTY1! instead of NSE:NIFTY. Profiles are for study, not trade signals, and past volume does not guarantee future results.