Configuration
Configuration
Reference for the inputs of NOVA, APEX, QUANTIS and VECTOR X1, APEX session times in server time, running several EAs on one account, and saving or loading presets with .set files.
8 min read
Editing inputs#
Inputs are set in the Inputs tab of the EA properties dialog. To reopen it on a running EA, press F7 on the chart, or right-click the chart and select Expert list > Properties.
Changing inputs re-initializes the EA. Open positions remain in place and continue to be managed through their magic number, stop-loss and take-profit, as long as InpMagic is not changed.
Input reference#
Each system has its own inputs, listed below with their default values. In the terminal's Inputs tab, MetaTrader shows each input's label (second column, in English) rather than its name, grouped under headings such as "=== Risk"; the name is what appears in .set files. All four systems also have the InpLicenseKey input: the license key from your order confirmation email, required; the EA does not trade without a valid key.
NOVA - Ethereum (ETHUSD), H4 chart, buy only. Same engine as QUANTIS, with its own validated settings.
| Input | Label in MT5 | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpRiskPct | Risk per trade (% of balance lost if the stop-loss is hit) | 2.0 | Risk per trade: percentage of the balance lost if the stop-loss is hit. |
| InpMaxDailyLossPct | Daily loss limit (% of start-of-day equity), 0 = off | 5.0 | Daily loss limit, in % of the equity recorded at the start of the server day. 0 = off. |
| InpTF | Signal timeframe | H4 | Timeframe of the candles used for the signals, whatever the chart timeframe. |
| InpBreakoutBars | Breakout: close above the highest high of the last N bars | 50 | Buys when a candle closes above the highest high of the previous 50 candles. |
| InpTrendMa | Trend filter: daily close above its SMA (0 = off) | 200 | Trend filter: buys only while the daily close is above its 200-day simple moving average. 0 = off. |
| InpAtrPeriod | ATR period (signal timeframe) | 14 | ATR period, on the InpTF candles. |
| InpSlAtr | Initial stop-loss (x ATR) | 3.0 | Stop-loss 3 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTpAtr | Take-profit (x ATR) | 20.0 | Take-profit 20 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTrailAtr | Trailing stop below the highest high since entry (x ATR), 0 = off | 4.0 | Trailing stop 4 × ATR below the highest high since entry, adjusted at each new H4 candle; it only moves up. 0 = off. |
| InpExitOnTrendLoss | Close when the daily close falls below the trend SMA | true | Closes the position when the daily close falls below the 200-day average. |
| InpMaxSpreadPct | Skip entries when the spread exceeds x % of the price | 0.15 | Entries are skipped while the spread exceeds 0.15% of the price; the entry is retried on the following ticks during the same H4 candle. |
| InpMagic | Magic number | 26100304 | Identifies the EA's positions. Change it only to run a second NOVA on the same symbol and account. |
APEX - Nasdaq 100 (NAS100), any chart timeframe (M5 recommended), intraday, buy only. APEX reads one-minute (M1) data internally, so the chart timeframe does not change its decisions.
| Input | Label in MT5 | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpRiskProfile | Risk profile: 1 = Standard, 2 = Dynamic (higher risk), 3 = Max (high risk), 0 = custom | 1 | Risk profile. 1 = Standard: 2% daily volatility target, maximum exposure 4 × equity, maximum loss of 2% of the balance at the stop-loss. 2 = Dynamic: 4%, 8 × and 4%, so twice the exposure and the risk, for 500 to 1,000 USD accounts. 3 = Max, high risk: 8%, 16 × and 8%, so four times the exposure and the risk of the Standard profile; simulated max drawdown of about 24% (see Risk management). 0 = custom: the next three inputs apply. Any other value prevents the EA from starting. |
| InpTargetVolPct | Custom profile: target daily volatility of the position (% of equity) | 2.0 | Custom profile only (InpRiskProfile = 0), ignored otherwise. Target daily volatility of the position, in % of equity. Exposure = equity × min(InpMaxLeverage, InpTargetVolPct ÷ daily volatility of the last 14 sessions). |
| InpMaxLeverage | Custom profile: max exposure (x equity) | 4.0 | Custom profile only (InpRiskProfile = 0), ignored otherwise. Maximum exposure, in multiples of equity. |
| InpMaxRiskPct | Custom profile: max loss at the stop-loss (% of balance) | 2.0 | Custom profile only (InpRiskProfile = 0), ignored otherwise. Maximum loss if the stop-loss is hit, in % of the balance. Caps the lot. |
| InpMaxDailyLossPct | Daily loss limit (% of start-of-day equity), 0 = off | 5.0 | Daily loss limit, in % of the equity recorded at the start of the server day. 0 = off. |
| InpOpenHour | Cash open hour (16:30 on most GMT+2/+3 servers = 9:30 New York) | 16 | Server hour of the US cash open (9:30 New York). See Sessions and server time below. |
| InpOpenMinute | Cash open minute | 30 | Server minute of the US cash open. |
| InpSessionMinutes | Cash session length (minutes) | 390 | Length of the cash session in minutes (9:30-16:00 New York). |
| InpExitBeforeClose | Close everything x minutes before the cash close | 5 | Everything is closed 5 minutes before the cash close. |
| InpLookbackDays | Days used for the noise area and the volatility | 14 | Number of sessions used for the noise area and the daily volatility. |
| InpCheckMinutes | Decision every x minutes | 30 | A decision every 30 minutes, the first one 30 minutes after the open. |
| InpBandMult | Noise area width multiplier | 1.0 | Width multiplier of the noise area. |
| InpAllowShort | Allow short positions (validated setting: off) | false | Short positions. Validated setting: keep off (APEX is buy only). |
| InpTpPct | Take-profit (% of the entry price) | 3.0 | Take-profit 3% above the entry price. The stop-loss is placed at the noise-area boundary or the session VWAP, whichever is tighter, then moved up at each decision point. |
| InpMaxSpreadPct | Skip entries when the spread exceeds x % of the price | 0.03 | Entries are skipped while the spread exceeds 0.03% of the price; checked at each decision point. |
| InpMagic | Magic number | 26100302 | Identifies the EA's positions. Change it only to run a second APEX on the same symbol and account. |
QUANTIS - Bitcoin (BTCUSD), H4 chart, buy only.
| Input | Label in MT5 | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpRiskPct | Risk per trade (% of balance lost if the stop-loss is hit) | 2.0 | Risk per trade: percentage of the balance lost if the stop-loss is hit. |
| InpMaxDailyLossPct | Daily loss limit (% of start-of-day equity), 0 = off | 5.0 | Daily loss limit, in % of the equity recorded at the start of the server day. 0 = off. |
| InpTF | Signal timeframe | H4 | Timeframe of the candles used for the signals, whatever the chart timeframe. |
| InpBreakoutBars | Breakout: close above the highest high of the last N bars | 20 | Buys when a candle closes above the highest high of the previous 20 candles. |
| InpTrendMa | Trend filter: daily close above its SMA (0 = off) | 200 | Trend filter: buys only while the daily close is above its 200-day simple moving average. 0 = off. |
| InpAtrPeriod | ATR period (signal timeframe) | 14 | ATR period, on the InpTF candles. |
| InpSlAtr | Initial stop-loss (x ATR) | 5.0 | Stop-loss 5 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTpAtr | Take-profit (x ATR) | 16.0 | Take-profit 16 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTrailAtr | Trailing stop below the highest high since entry (x ATR), 0 = off | 3.0 | Trailing stop 3 × ATR below the highest high since entry, adjusted at each new H4 candle; it only moves up. 0 = off. |
| InpExitOnTrendLoss | Close when the daily close falls below the trend SMA | true | Closes the position when the daily close falls below the 200-day average. |
| InpMaxSpreadPct | Skip entries when the spread exceeds x % of the price | 0.15 | Entries are skipped while the spread exceeds 0.15% of the price; the entry is retried on the following ticks during the same H4 candle. |
| InpMagic | Magic number | 26100301 | Identifies the EA's positions. Change it only to run a second QUANTIS on the same symbol and account. |
VECTOR X1 - gold (XAUUSD), H4 chart, buy only.
| Input | Label in MT5 | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpAggressiveness | Aggressiveness 1-5 (risk per trade 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 %) | 3 | Aggressiveness level 1 to 5: risk per trade of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5% of the balance. Any other value prevents the EA from starting. |
| InpMaxDailyLossPct | Daily loss limit (% of start-of-day equity), 0 = off | 8.0 | Daily loss limit, in % of the equity recorded at the start of the server day. 0 = off. |
| InpTF | Signal timeframe | H4 | Timeframe of the candles used for the signals, whatever the chart timeframe. |
| InpBreakoutBars | Breakout: close above the highest high of the last N bars | 80 | Buys when a candle closes above the highest high of the previous 80 candles. |
| InpTrendMa | Trend filter: daily close above its SMA (0 = off) | 200 | Trend filter: buys only while the daily close is above its 200-day simple moving average. 0 = off. |
| InpAtrPeriod | ATR period (signal timeframe) | 14 | ATR period, on the InpTF candles. |
| InpSlAtr | Initial stop-loss (x ATR) | 5.0 | Stop-loss 5 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTpAtr | Take-profit (x ATR) | 20.0 | Take-profit 20 × ATR from the entry price. |
| InpTrailAtr | Trailing stop below the highest high since entry (x ATR), 0 = off | 3.0 | Trailing stop 3 × ATR below the highest high since entry, adjusted at each new H4 candle; it only moves up. 0 = off. |
| InpExitOnTrendLoss | Close when the daily close falls below the trend SMA | true | Closes the position when the daily close falls below the 200-day average. |
| InpMaxSpreadPct | Skip entries when the spread exceeds x % of the price | 0.05 | Entries are skipped while the spread exceeds 0.05% of the price; the entry is retried on the following ticks during the same H4 candle. |
| InpMagic | Magic number | 26100303 | Identifies the EA's positions. Change it only to run a second VECTOR X1 on the same symbol and account. |
Sessions and server time#
Only APEX uses session times. NOVA, QUANTIS and VECTOR X1 have no session input: they work on H4 candles at any hour the market is open, and only their daily loss limit follows the server day.
APEX trades the US cash session of the Nasdaq 100, 9:30 to 16:00 New York time. Its session inputs are in broker server time, not in your local time. The defaults InpOpenHour = 16 and InpOpenMinute = 30 place the open at 16:30 server time, which is 9:30 New York on most GMT+2 / GMT+3 servers: those that run on GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer and change hour on the US dates. With InpSessionMinutes = 390 and InpExitBeforeClose = 5, APEX makes its first decision at 17:00 server time and closes everything at 22:55.
- 1
Read the server time
The server time is shown at the top of the Market Watch window (Ctrl+M).
- 2
Compare it with New York
Compare it with the current time in New York. If the server is 7 hours ahead of New York, keep 16:30.
- 3
Otherwise, adjust
Set InpOpenHour and InpOpenMinute to the server time of 9:30 New York. Example: on a server on UTC without daylight saving, that is 13:30 while the US is on summer time and 14:30 while it is on winter time, so the inputs must be changed at each US clock change.
Running multiple instances#
- Each EA only manages positions that carry its own magic number on the symbol of its chart. It never modifies or closes manual trades or positions of other EAs.
- Each EA holds at most one position at a time on its symbol.
- The four systems can run on the same account: their default magic numbers are different (NOVA 26100304, APEX 26100302, QUANTIS 26100301, VECTOR X1 26100303).
- To run the same EA twice on one account, for example on two charts of the same symbol, give each instance a different InpMagic. Two instances with the same magic number on the same symbol share a single position and interfere with each other's management of it.
- Changing InpMagic while a position is open detaches that position from the EA: it keeps its stop-loss and take-profit on the broker's server, but the EA no longer trails or closes it.
- Risk inputs apply per instance. When several instances or systems run on one account, the combined risk is the sum of their individual exposures, and the daily loss limit of each EA is measured on the equity of the whole account.
Presets (.set files)#
A preset is a .set file containing a complete set of input values. Presets make configurations reproducible across terminals and accounts.
- 1
Save
In the Inputs tab, click Save and choose a descriptive file name, for example VECTOR_X1_level3.set.
- 2
Load
In the Inputs tab, click Load and select the .set file. Review every value before clicking OK.
- 3
Install supplied presets
If presets are supplied with your system, copy them into the MQL5\Presets folder of the data folder so that they appear directly in the Load dialog.