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Getting Started

This guide takes a new 1.1.10 installation through one verifiable, simulation-first workflow. Do not begin with a broker account or Trade Copier.

Before you launch​

  1. Complete Install, Update, And Uninstall.
  2. Confirm the version shown in Help > About.
  3. Review Feature And Provider Status.
  4. Know where to find Log in the main window and Help > Export Logs.

1. Configure a connection​

Open Connections, add a provider that supports the market-data capability you need, and give it a recognizable name.

Connection forms can include credentials, environment, account mode, and auto-connect settings. Save Credentials persists supported credential fields for the current Windows user. Do not paste a private key into Code Lab, a script property, an AI prompt, or a workspace.

After connecting:

  • Check the connection indicator.
  • Read the provider messages in Log.
  • Confirm an instrument list can be loaded.
  • Confirm the intended accounts appear in Accounts.

See Connections for provider-specific status and Connection Recovery before live use.

2. Open a chart​

Select New > Chart, then choose:

  • The configured connection.
  • An instrument supplied by that connection.
  • A data-series type and value.
  • A historical range or days-to-load value where exposed.

Wait for history to load, then verify that new market updates arrive. A chart can display candles even when an order-routing account is unavailable, so validate data and trading separately.

3. Add an indicator​

Open the indicator selector from the chart and add one built-in indicator.

Verify:

  • The output is visible in the expected pane.
  • Parameter changes affect the output.
  • Scrolling, zooming, and resizing do not produce errors.
  • Log contains no repeated indicator exceptions.

For custom work, follow Build Your First Indicator.

4. Select LocalPaper explicitly​

Open Chart Trader and select an account whose type is LocalPaper.

Do not infer the environment from the chart, connection name, or Playback state. Broker and ServerPaper accounts route through their provider connection in real time. Playback is a replay clock that does not change the selected account, but the current release-candidate build rejects external-account order mutations while Playback is active. Select LocalPaper explicitly.

5. Test one simulated order​

With LocalPaper selected:

  1. Verify the instrument and order-size mode.
  2. Enter the smallest practical test quantity.
  3. Submit one order supported by the visible selector.
  4. Watch it in Orders and the chart order display.
  5. Cancel it if it remains active, or close the simulated position after a fill.
  6. Compare Orders, Positions, and Executions.

Hyperion Sim is simplified: it does not reproduce queue position, order-book liquidity, live slippage, broker buying-power checks, or liquidation behavior. See Accounts And Trading Environments.

6. Try an OCO preset in simulation​

Chart Trader owns the entry quantity. An OCO preset defines protective exits, including target/stop distances, target percentages, stop behavior, and time in force as exposed by the editor.

Test the complete lifecycle:

  • Entry acknowledgement and fill.
  • Protective-order creation.
  • Partial or complete target behavior.
  • Sibling cancellation.
  • Manual cancel and close.

Provider-native and locally managed bracket behavior can differ. Never move this test to a live account without the provider-specific guide and reconciliation procedure.

7. Save and restore the layout​

Select Workspaces > Save As, name the workspace, close one test window, and reopen the workspace.

Confirm the chart, indicator, data series, drawing state, and supported tool placement. Then verify the account and environment again; a workspace is not a trading-state checkpoint.

See Save And Restore Workspaces for the exact 1.1.10 persistence boundary.

8. Verify support readiness​

Select Help > Export Logs, inspect the resulting archive, and confirm you know how to reach support. Redaction is best effort, so remove any sensitive material before sharing an archive.

First-session acceptance checklist​

  • Installed version matches the documented build.
  • Provider is listed for the capability being tested.
  • Historical and live chart updates were verified independently.
  • LocalPaper was selected explicitly.
  • One simulated order completed or cancelled cleanly.
  • Orders, positions, and executions agreed.
  • OCO behavior was tested only in simulation.
  • A named workspace restored successfully.
  • Output logs were reviewed and a support archive was inspected.

Next, learn the Desktop And Main Menu, or go directly to Chart Trader And Manual Trading or the Developer Center.