Thanks for reporting this issue. I have passed this to our QA to sort out. Would it be OK if they contacted you (if needed)? I have the email address associated with your account here. Private message me if you have more up-to-date contact info.

Working my way through MS13EOD...a little confused on the Smart Charts. Previously using MS11EOD. Using the open with template to start new charts through the Power Console, making some minor changes to the presentation, then select "Save as Smart Chart" which it says is successful. However, when reopening the Smart Chart later it does not retain the minor changes, and doesn't seem to remember even some of the template settings (bar thickness for example). Why isn't the Smart Chart save remembering exactly the chart I've modified? Am I missing a setting somewhere (which doesn't appear to reside in the Options tab). Thanks, ST

Thanks for response!

No...I make changes to a chart created originally from a template, and immediately select "Save as Smart Chart".

As a test, I immediately close that chart after saving it as a smart chart, attempt to open the Smart Chart from the Power Console, and it comes back as something different. Bar thickness of the basic data is changed, and some studies settings are also changed back to the original template settings. It's almost as if it doesn't save it as a Smart Chart.

???

Make sure that you do not have "Attach Expert Advisor" selected in the Power Console when opening the chart. You'll want to have "Apply template" with "Smart chart" selected.

I really really, wanted Metastock 13 to work for me but unfortunately, there has been issues that will have me waiting till MS 14. I reported the bugs but they are on a two month release cycle if they are included. I’ve been using MS since version 1.0 and am going to stick with MS 11 for now. Here is the list… Key BUGS 1. The Simulation functions in system tester are broke and do not work. They are aware of this. The estimated bug fix is at earliest two months. (12/17/2013 today) 2. Worked with support to identify a bug in that the Security() function does not work with online data. This is not functional and “may” be included in another bug release. Again, I was informed that there is a two month release cycle “if it is” included. These first two are crucial to my ability to trade using MS with the data feed. I can’t even come close to replicating my trading without these two. Also see below as this will not work with local data. Features removed since version 11.0 1. Local data (securities and indicators) cannot be used in Security () functions. That is even after the bug is fixed to allow the security function to work. a. This is critical to have local data to be able to be used in this capacity. b. Local data should have the ability to be called as an indicator, referenced in a system tester or as a security to create a composite. 2. Local data is tedious and impractical to edit. You must convert and import the entire data set. a. I have listed the steps required for a trader to use their own creations. b. Since there is no way to edit local data or to fix data issues, or to add a data point as a “what if” scenario, the steps would require the following. i. Download the required securities (data) using the old downloader since there is no export in Metastock. ii. Run the conversion in the Download to use Excel. Note this converts it to Excel version 4 which is a 1992 format! Office 2010/2013 blocks this by default but can be opened. iii. Now you must massage the data in Excel, combining the various security and setting it up for the correct format. iv. Actually, first, I have to recreate and run the mathematical calculations in Excel that use to be done in Metastock 11. v. Format the resulting data in Excel as a local security so the downloader can read it. Export this from Excel to either a TXT format or a CVS to import to the Downloader and then convert to txt so Metastock 13 can import it. vi. Now import the result to Metastock 13 as a local security. vii. Since you cannot use the local security as an indicator then unfortunately, (see item 1 ) this data cannot be used in security or formulas or system testers and is practically useless for me. c. Losing “what if” and modifying or adding the last data points manually is a key for me. 3. Last, you cannot access Metastock program without an internet connection! Say what!?! a. I informed sales that I work on trading systems while traveling since I flying and wanted to ensure that I could access my “local data”. This is not true. Once internet is down. You loose access to the program. b. I appreciate the improvement to allow Metastock to be installed in Virtual PC’s but there has to be another solution to allow off-line operation. Maybe cache a logon copy for 72 hours or something. 4. Metastock is still a 32 bit program even though sales told me it is a native 64 bit app. a. In fact, Metastock gives an error when launching if Outlook 2010 or Outlook2013 64 bit is installed. Supports initial resolution was to uninstall the 64 bit version and install the32 bit version. That may be ok in 2009 but 5 years later and this has not been addressed. Suggestions As a wish list, I’d really like to see a lot of work performed in the system tester area. This is basically unchanged in over 5 years. Some features that would fit the bill besides a native 64 bit application that can use all 8 cores and gobs of memory. b. Walk forward optimizations with 3d surface charts. This is a tedious method as with MS11, all data is exported to Excel to perform surface charts on the optimized values. Insanely time consuming but this would be really great to see in Metastock 14. c. Strategy back testing and optimization improvements. The reports should also include peak to equity drawdowns for each trade and each cycle high to cycle low. d. More user friendly tools in strategy building. Such as automatic tools that create look up ranges for last occurrence of x while in a trade. They should be separate for long/short in and out of a strategy. Again these are wish lists that I have to manually export the data to Excel. Again, key functionality should not be lost in an upgrade. This is not progress. I'd be more then happy to be a beta tester since I'm a real trader and not a programmer. I hope to see the new regime led by Scott Brown tackle these old problems. On a good note, I use e-signal now and had no problems testing the required MS data supplier. Although, it would be nice to choose, its not the killer I thought it would be to use Datalink.

Agreed. MetaStock 13: 1. Forecaster- absolute waste of efforts. Much more needed are multiple timeframe charting, money management, smarter system performance reporting. 2. Snapshot - nice to have only 3. Very slow System Tester now - I am outside of USA. Now when I test a system on 4000 stocks, it becomes so slow because the data is retrieved from the other end of the earth, though I already have all of them locally stored in my PC. Really don't understand why MetaStock will opt for this High cost, Low performance solution. Even funny is that when I test multiple systems on these 4000 stocks, they got to retrieve the same set of data from USA again and again. It not only wastes my time but also MetaStock's server resources.

Hello,

I realize this is a bit late of a response, but wanted to comment on a few of the points raised.

Security function: There were 4 bugs related to using Security(Online) function that have since been fixed. A security function that references Local Data may ultimately be developed to work with the new system but currently this feature is not available and not likely to be in a 13 update.

Simulation functions (**edit update): This should now be fixed in the latest EOD build (0904). This is also fixed in MS Pro but there has been a delay in getting MS Pro (0904) released (tentatively scheduled for July 21st).

Local Data: Currently we support a CSV/ASCII format with MetaStock 13. Once you convert/bring this data in, you can edit these files and add/modify the data. That said, there is currently no way to reference this data through the formula language. There may be some things we can do to address part of this, such as making the P variable work with these data files.

64-bit support: This is unlikely to change soon, but long term as we re-design MetaStock (The Forecaster is a good example as this runs external to MetaStock and actually utilizes all of your CPU cores) we will keep expanding our hardware functionality.

System Tester enhancements: There are definitely plans to enhance the tester but these will be longer term plans and not likely something we will see with v14.