Refine Volume-graded Fair Value Gap indicator for NinjaTrader 8

Quick info

Platform

NinjaTrader 8 on Windows

Concept

Fair Value Gaps graded by the volume of the candle that created them

Designed for

Traders who use FVGs and want fewer, better-qualified zones on the chart

Best used when

Deciding which of the gaps on your chart deserve your attention

Markets

Instrument presets for ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, CL and GC, plus Custom for anything else

Data

Level 1 ticks and 21 days of history. Tick Replay optional

Access

Part of the FlowForged Suite, free during the private beta

What Refine does

Refine finds every three-candle Fair Value Gap, then checks the candle that created it: did that displacement carry real volume for its time of day?

Each displacement candle's volume is compared with the average for the same time-of-day slot over recent sessions (relative volume, or RVOL). A gap is drawn only if the candle reached the RVOL threshold, twice the norm by default, and a minimum absolute volume. The gaps that pass are graded Normal, High or Extreme by how far above normal they were.

On each zone Refine adds a dashed midpoint line at the 50% level and a gold line at the displacement candle's point of control: the price where the most volume traded inside that candle. When a gap is mitigated it can stay on the chart as an inverted FVG.

Purpose

A standard FVG indicator draws every three-candle gap. On a 1-minute index chart that can be dozens of zones a session. If gaps are part of how you trade, the useful question is not where they are but which ones had real participation behind them.

Why choose it

• Judged against the same time of day. A candle at 3 AM is compared with other 3 AM candles, not with the 9:30 open.
• Three tiers you can see. Normal, High and Extreme each get their own color and label tag, and each can be hidden from the toolbar.
• A volume anchor inside the gap. The displacement POC marks where the most volume traded within the candle that made the gap.
• Gaps that flip. Mitigated zones can stay on the chart as inverted FVGs, with close-through or pierce-through fill logic.
• Calibrated presets. ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, CL and GC thresholds load with one setting.
• History off the chart you trade. With the multi-chart relay, a background chart holds the 20 sessions the volume baseline needs, and the chart you trade just draws the zones.
• No Tick Replay needed. Zones and grades come from bar volume. The POC is recorded from the live tick stream and kept across restarts; Tick Replay gives older zones one too.

How it works

1. Find the gap. Every three-candle Fair Value Gap at least the minimum size for your market.
2. Measure the displacement. The middle candle's volume is compared with the average for its time-of-day slot over the last 20 sessions.
3. Apply the gate. RVOL at or above 2.0 and the market's minimum displacement volume. Gaps that fail are never drawn.
4. Grade it. High from 3× normal, Extreme from 5×, Normal below that.
5. Track it. The midpoint and POC lines are drawn; retests fade the zone, and a close through it turns it into an iFVG. A zone price never closes through stops at the end of its extension.

Key capabilities

• Time-of-day RVOL validation with a minimum displacement volume
• Multi-chart relay: one background chart holds the 20 sessions of history the volume baseline needs and finds the zones, and every other chart of the instrument draws them, on any timeframe and with its own style, colors and tier filters. How the relay works
• Normal, High and Extreme conviction tiers, each with its own color, label tag and toolbar toggle
• Dashed midpoint line at the 50% level of every zone
• Displacement-candle point of control (POC) with an optional volume label
• Inverted FVG tracking with close-through or pierce-through fill logic
• Gradient, Edge Stroke or Standard rendering, with opacity that fades with age and touches
• Instrument presets for ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, CL and GC, plus Custom
• Time-of-day slots on the exchange’s clock, so RVOL stays aligned whatever time zone NinjaTrader uses
• 16 Strategy Builder outputs, including the conviction tier, touches, mitigation and iFVG state

How to set up Refine in NinjaTrader 8

1. Add FF Refine from the Indicators window to the chart you trade, with at least 21 days loaded so the volume baseline has its full 20 sessions. A Level 1 feed is enough; Tick Replay is not required.
2. Under Relative Volume, set Instrument Preset to your market (ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, CL or GC), or Custom to set every threshold yourself.
3. Keep the 2.0 RVOL Threshold or raise it for fewer, stronger gaps.
4. Choose the Fill Mode for inversions: close-through (default) or pierce-through.
5. Use the toolbar pill to switch the render style, hide tiers and show or hide iFVGs mid-session.
6. Optional: keep the history off the chart you trade with the multi-chart relay, Refine as Publish on a background chart and as Viewer on yours.

New to NinjaTrader add-ons? The install guide covers importing, Tick Replay and common fixes.

Refine FAQ

Works well with

Conclusion

Refine does not tell you to trade a gap. It tells you whether the volume behind the gap was real, measured against the same time of day, and shows you where inside the gap that volume traded:

• Fewer zones on the chart
• The strongest ones graded and visible at a glance
• The midpoint and POC drawn for you on every zone

Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not for every investor. Chart examples show past market activity and are not indicative of future results. Refine is an analytical tool, not trading advice.