Due to the incredible response to the Ellipse indicator series (at least two replies), below is the final indicator in the Ellipse trilogy: triple Boxed Ellipse. Note the re-use of variables to allow MetaStock to use 60 variables (x3 maximum). MetaStock -> Tools -> Indicator Builder -> New -> Copy and paste complete formula between "---8<---" lines. =========== Boxed Ellipses =========== ---8<-------------------------- { Boxed Ellipses v2.0 Box: High & Low of selected period. Ellipse: plots within Box boundaries.} { ©Copyright 2005 Jose Silva For personal use only. http://www.metastocktools.com } pds1:=Input("Ellipse/Box width periods", 2,2600,40); pds2:=Input("Ellipse/Box separation periods", -26000,2600,5); plot:=Input("plot: [1]Box, [2]Ellipse, [3]Both",1,3,3); pds2:=LastValue(If(pds2<=-pds1,-pds1+1,pds2)); { Box & Ellipse 1 } p2:=pds2; p1:=pds1+p2; start:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p1; end:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p2; restrict:=Ref(Ref(ValueWhen(1,start,1),-p2),p2); Hi:=LastValue(Highest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,H))) +restrict-1; Lo:=LastValue(Lowest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,L))) +restrict-1; top:=If(start OR end,Lo,Hi); bot:=If(start OR end,Hi,Lo); midX:=(p1-p2)/2; midY:=(Hi-Lo)/2; tX:=Cum(1)-midX-(LastValue(Cum(1))-p1); ellipse:= Sqrt(midY*midY*(1-Min(tX*tX/midX/midX,1))); upperE:=Lo+midY+ellipse; lowerE:=Hi-midY-ellipse; If(plot=2,upperE,Hi); If(plot=2,lowerE,Lo); If(plot=2,upperE,top); If(plot=2,lowerE,bot); If(plot=1,top,upperE); If(plot=1,bot,lowerE); { Box & Ellipse 2 } p2:=p1+pds2; p1:=pds1+p2; start:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p1; end:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p2; restrict:=Ref(Ref(ValueWhen(1,start,1),-p2),p2); Hi:=LastValue(Highest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,H))) +restrict-1; Lo:=LastValue(Lowest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,L))) +restrict-1; top:=If(start OR end,Lo,Hi); bot:=If(start OR end,Hi,Lo); midX:=(p1-p2)/2; midY:=(Hi-Lo)/2; tX:=Cum(1)-midX-(LastValue(Cum(1))-p1); ellipse:= Sqrt(midY*midY*(1-Min(tX*tX/midX/midX,1))); upperE:=Lo+midY+ellipse; lowerE:=Hi-midY-ellipse; If(plot=2,upperE,Hi); If(plot=2,lowerE,Lo); If(plot=2,upperE,top); If(plot=2,lowerE,bot); If(plot=1,top,upperE); If(plot=1,bot,lowerE); { Box & Ellipse 3 } p2:=p1+pds2; p1:=pds1+p2; start:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p1; end:=Cum(1)=LastValue(Cum(1))-p2; restrict:=Ref(Ref(ValueWhen(1,start,1),-p2),p2); Hi:=LastValue(Highest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,H))) +restrict-1; Lo:=LastValue(Lowest(ValueWhen(1,restrict,L))) +restrict-1; top:=If(start OR end,Lo,Hi); bot:=If(start OR end,Hi,Lo); midX:=(p1-p2)/2; midY:=(Hi-Lo)/2; tX:=Cum(1)-midX-(LastValue(Cum(1))-p1); ellipse:= Sqrt(midY*midY*(1-Min(tX*tX/midX/midX,1))); upperE:=Lo+midY+ellipse; lowerE:=Hi-midY-ellipse; If(plot=2,upperE,Hi); If(plot=2,lowerE,Lo); If(plot=2,upperE,top); If(plot=2,lowerE,bot); If(plot=1,top,upperE ---8<-------------------------- jose '-) http://www.metastocktools.com

Patrick, I mean that variable names have been re-used three times over, although they can be reused several times more if necessary, as long as the 2.5Kb character space is not exceeded. For example in this indicator, had I named each variable differently, the formula would have needed at least 60 variable names, which is beyond MetaStock's 20-variable limit. The trick is to re-use variables no longer needed by MetaStock in the calculation of new values. It helps if we understand that MetaStock processes data bars from left to right (with the exception of hindsight-based functions), and calculates from top to bottom of formula for each data bar. Now, for a more important question: Patrick, how do I get an Avatar like yours? ;) jose '-) http://www.metastocktools.com