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9:50 : 10:10, 10:50 : 11:10 and 11:50 : 12:10. This screenshot was taken before a time-zone fix, so here each frame sits one hour before the time in its label. The current version draws each frame on the bars of its labelled window. Tap to enlarge.Quick info
- Platform
- NinjaTrader 8 on Windows
- Concept
- The macro time windows ICT teaches, drawn as brackets around the price action inside each window
- Designed for
- Traders who follow ICT’s macro times and want them marked on the chart instead of watching the clock
- Best used when
- You trade an intraday chart (1-minute, seconds, tick or range) and want each window marked on today and on past days
- Windows
- 23 fixed windows in New York time, whatever time zone NinjaTrader is set to. Each has its own on/off setting, and 15 are on by default
- Data
- Any NinjaTrader data feed. No Order Flow+ and no Tick Replay
- Access
- Free download
What ICT Macros does
ICT Macros marks the macro windows that ICT teaches. For each window you switch on, it finds the bars inside it and draws a frame around their high and low, with a two-line label above: MACRO, then the time range.
The windows are built in, in New York time (Eastern Time), and they stay on New York time whatever time zone NinjaTrader is set to. Most run 20 minutes, from :50 past one hour to :10 past the next. One, 15:15 to 15:45, runs 30 minutes. By default every window from 02:50 to 16:10 is on, including the ones named AM-1 (09:50), AM-2 (10:50), Lunch (11:50) and PM (13:50) in the settings. The 00:50 and 01:50 windows and the evening windows from 16:50 are off until you tick them.
Every day in view gets its own frames, so past sessions are marked the same way as today. If you only want today, one setting hides the rest.
Purpose
If you use ICT’s macro times, you are watching a clock next to the chart. With a window almost every hour, it is easy to lose track of which one you are in, and past days carry no marks at all.
Why choose it
- Frames sized by price. The bracket wraps the highest high and lowest low inside the window, so a quiet window draws a short frame and a wide-ranging one draws a tall frame.
- The time on the chart. The label above each frame gives the window’s start and end, so you never have to count bars.
- Pick your windows. One checkbox per window. Keep the New York day, or add the overnight and evening windows.
- Nothing to type in. The times are written into the indicator in Eastern Time, so there is no schedule to enter or keep up to date.
- New York time on any setting. Set NinjaTrader to Eastern, Central, London or any other time zone, and the frames still land on the New York times in their labels.
- Today only, when you want it. One setting clears the frames from earlier days.
- Follows the Master Switch. One click on the FlowForged Master Switch hides the frames with the rest of your FlowForged overlays.
How it works
- Fixed windows. 23 windows in Eastern Time are built in. You tick the ones to show.
- Read the bar times. Each bar’s time is converted from NinjaTrader’s time zone to New York time.
- Find the bars. A bar is inside a window when its time is at or after the start and before the end. Each day is its own window.
- Measure the range. The highest high and lowest low of those bars.
- Draw the frame. A bracket above the high and one below the low, spanning the window’s bars, with the MACRO label on top. It is redrawn from the bars in view, so a window in progress updates as bars print.
Key capabilities
- 23 fixed macro windows in Eastern Time, each with its own on/off setting
- New York time whatever time zone NinjaTrader is set to
- Bracket frames around the high and low of the bars in each window
- Two-line label: MACRO and the window’s time range
- One line color for every frame, with an opacity from 10 to 60%
- A separate frame for each day in view, or today only
- Follows the FlowForged Master Switch
- Minute, second, tick, range and volume charts
How to set up ICT Macros in NinjaTrader 8
- Get the download below and import it in NinjaTrader 8 (Tools > Import > NinjaScript Add-On).
- Add FF ICT Macros from the Indicators window to an intraday chart.
- Under Macro Windows, tick the windows you want. 15 are on by default.
- Under Display, set the line opacity, keep or hide the labels, and choose whether to show only today.
New to NinjaTrader add-ons? The install guide covers importing, Tick Replay and common fixes.
ICT Macros FAQ
Which macro windows does it draw?
All 23 standard windows, in Eastern Time, each with its own on/off checkbox. They are 20 minutes long except 15:15 to 15:45, which is 30.
What if NinjaTrader is set to another time zone?
The frames still land on New York times. ICT Macros reads each bar’s time in NinjaTrader’s time zone and converts it, daylight saving included.
Does it work on higher timeframes?
On charts of 20 minutes or more, a window can hold one bar or none. On a 60-minute chart no bar is stamped between 15:15 and 15:45, so that window draws nothing.
Can it show only today?
Yes. One setting clears the frames from earlier days.
Does it need Order Flow+ or Tick Replay?
No. It uses bar times, highs and lows only, from any NinjaTrader data feed.
Works well with
Conclusion
ICT Macros does not tell you what price will do inside a window. It marks the windows ICT teaches on the chart you trade, so the clock is on the chart instead of beside it. It is one of the free FlowForged tools; the paid indicators are part of the FlowForged Suite.
- The windows you choose, framed and labelled
- Past days marked the same way as today
- No schedule to enter
ICT Macros is free
It comes in one download with all eight free FlowForged tools. Enter your email and we’ll send the NinjaTrader 8 link.
Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not for every investor. Chart examples show past market activity and are not indicative of future results. ICT Macros is an analytical tool, not trading advice.