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Frequently Asked Questions |
Introductory Questions
What is the source of data for 3DStockChartsOnline?
How does a limit order differ from a market order?
Registration Questions
Must I register to view the charts and graphs?
What is the difference between a registration and a subscription?
Will you sell my name or email address to someone else?
How do I cancel my subscription?
Site Operation
What do the colors in the Chart represent?
How can I change the colors of the Chart?
What do the colors in the Book represent?
What do the x, y and z axes of the Chart represent?
How can I change the view of the Chart?
How can I look at the Chart and Book simultaneously?
Chart Questions - Viewing
When I enter a valid stock symbol, why do I get a “Stock was not found” message?
Chart Questions - Chart Interpretation and Usage
How accurate are real-time 3DStockChartsOnline?
During what hours are the data on your site in real-time?
Do your charts show pre-market trading?
Do your charts show after hours trading continuing from the close?
What happened to the 2D chart?
Browser Questions
Which browsers can be used to view the real time charts?
Exchange and ECN Related Questions
Which stock trading activity can be viewed on the 3DStockChartsOnline site?
Do your tables and charts have the same information as Level 2 quotes?
How can I check which Exchange or ECN my trade is routed through?
Java Questions
How do I enable Java for viewing 3DStockChartsOnline?
My company blocks all Java scripting via a firewall. How can I see your charts?
Other
How do I make money with 3DStockChartsOnline?
Can I put your charts and graphs on my own website?
Can I use your data to run a custom trading system?
Introductory Questions
What is the source of data for 3DStockChartsOnline?
3DStockChartsOnline applies powerful 3D charting and graphical displays to exchange data including Nasdaq’s Total Market View data.
How does a limit order differ from a market order?
A market order is bought or sold at the best price available when your order is placed. Should the stock go up or down before your transaction is completed, you will incur a loss or gain. This may seem risky, but it has the benefit of ensuring the fulfillment of your order on the day it is placed.
In contrast, a limit order allows you to choose the price of the transaction, thereby insuring against a loss due to market fluctuation. When buying, you set a limit above which the purchase will not progress. When selling, you set a limit below which the purchase will not progress.
What is an ECN?
Electronic Communications Networks, or ECNs, are electronic trading systems that automatically match buy and sell orders at specified prices. ECNs register with the SEC as broker-dealers
Those who subscribe to ECNs – institutional investors, broker-dealers, and market makers – can place trades directly with an ECN. Individual investors must currently have an account with a broker-dealer subscriber before their orders can be routed to an ECN for execution. When seeking to buy or sell securities, ECN subscribers typically use limit orders. ECNs post orders on their systems for other subscribers to view. The ECN will then automatically match orders for execution.
If a subscriber wants to buy a stock through an ECN, but there are no sell orders to match the buy order, the order can't be executed until a matching sell order comes in. If an ECN has no sell order to match with the subscriber's buy order, it may send the order to another market center for execution. Likewise, a subscriber seeking to sell a stock through an ECN may have its order matched with a buy order that comes into the ECN, or the ECN may route the sell order to another market center for execution.
Just because a stock is listed on the NYSE or the NASDAQ or the AMEX doesn't mean every share is bought and sold there. Mutual Funds do much of their trading among themselves and with other institutional investors directly through electronic computer networks (ECNs), the largest being Instinet.
Many investors trade 24 hours a day directly with each other through ECNs such as Island and Archipelago. These ECNs now handle over 35% of the NASDAQ trades.
Do you supply Level 2 Quotes?
Level 2 quotes include the top book values for ECNs, Market Makers and other trading entities combined.
Registration Questions
Must I register to view the charts and graphs?
First-time visitors can tour the entire site on a 30 day, free trail basis. Once you register (registration is FREE), you can view data on any stock in the system.
What is a registration versus a subscription?
Registrations are FREE; we will email you a password right away. By registering, you get access to the entire site. To continue beyond the 30 day free trial requires a subscription.
Subscriptions cost only $14.95, and give you access to the WatchList feature and allow you to float windows. The WatchList feature allows you to see a table or individual charts with live, streaming data on up to ten stocks at once – a very powerful tool for the active trader.
What are cookies?
A "cookie" is a piece of limited, internal information transmitted between server software and your browser. The cookie stores information so that our site immediately recognizes you each time you visit.
Will you sell my name or email address to someone else?
No. We do not sell or rent your name to anyone else.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Go to the Support page (by clicking on the Support button in the upper right hand corner of the home page) and follow the instructions for unsubscribing.
Site Operation
What do the colors in the Chart represent?
On a full book chart: Green bars depict buy orders, with the distinctive shades representing separate orders; red bars depict sell orders, with the distinctive shades representing separate orders; white bars indicate the price and number of shares of the last trade, noted by a tick just below the x-axis.
On a top of book chart: Top of Book colors are handled in a completely different manner. Each color is unique to a particular limit order. In order to distinguish buy and sell orders a diagonal line is drawn on all sell orders.
How can I change the colors of the Chart?
Green and red bars can be changed to blue and yellow, respectively, by opening the VIEW menu and selecting DISPLAY. Only Full Book colors can be changed. Top of Book colors are limit order color coded, not buy/sell color coded.
What do the colors in the Book represent?
The Book contains a column of Buy Orders and Sell Orders. The first six price points are grouped by color. Bid/Ask orders outside the top six have a gray background. In addition to the top 15 orders, the balance totals of the buy or sell limit orders is listed at the bottom of the table. The price that the stock last traded is shown at the top of the table.
What do the x, y and z axes of the Chart represent?
The x-axis displays the top 15 bid and ask limit orders. Orders that are significantly different than the traded price may distort the chart.
The y-axis indicates the total number of shares being traded at each price point. Distinctive color shades indicate the size of each block being traded.
The z-axis represents time. The graphical display is refreshed as frequently as one second intervals. Old data is shifted back and can represent up to the last 30 seconds of activity. Bid/Ask limit orders disappear from the chart when matched or expired.
How can I change the view of the Chart?
The Chart can be rotated to all angles by left-clicking on the Chart with the mouse and dragging the Chart to the desired angle.
The Chart can be enlarged (zoom feature) by right-clicking the mouse on the Chart and dragging up or down. Macintosh users perform this function by holding down the apple key while clicking the mouse on the Chart and dragging up or down.
The Chart can be shifted within the frame (pan feature) by holding down the CTRL button while left-clicking the mouse on the Chart and dragging in any direction. Macintosh users also hold down the CTRL key to perform this function.
To re-center the Chart, click on the VIEW menu and select RESET 3D VIEW.
How can I look at the Chart and Book simultaneously?
To alternate between the individual sets of data (Chart, Book and Totals) simply click on the corresponding tab. To launch a separate window that can be moved and re-sized for simultaneous viewing, customers can either double-click on each tab, or click on the WINDOW menu and select a data set.
Chart Questions - Viewing
When I enter a valid stock symbol, why do I get a "Stock was not found" message?
Real-time 3D charts are available for over NASDAQ stocks and actively traded NYSE stocks. If a stock is not available, it may be that the symbol is incorrect.
My computer only displays the frame of the page with the banner ad and 3DStockChartsOnline symbol. The remaining portion of the screen is completely blank. What's wrong?
Please be sure that you have "cookies" and Java enabled. Also clear your cache. If you are still having a problem, please send the following information to info@3DStockChartsOnline.com: What modem speed are you using? What PC and operating system are you using? What browser and browser version are you using? Are you behind a firewall?
Chart Questions - Chart Interpretation and Usage
How accurate are real-time 3DStockChartsOnline?
3DStockChartsOnline.com has dedicated connections from our data sources to multiple servers. Our Internet servers are in the Financial District in New York City, with a fiber optic connection to guarantee no delays. Within the United States, our customers' connection to the Internet can cause a slight delay measured in tenths of a second. The trans-Atlantic internet delay can be measured in seconds.
During what hours are the data on your site in real time?
We provide real-time streaming charts for regular market hours and after hours as well. This includes pre-market, market and after-market hours. When the after-market hours have completed, the close repeats on the charts until the next business morning.
Do your charts show pre-market trading?
Yes.
Do your charts show after hours trading continuing from the close?
Yes.
What happened to the 2D chart?
The 2D chart is now a viewing option in both the Full Book applet and the Top of Book applet.
Browser Questions
Which browsers can be used to view the real time charts?
Presenting real-time stock charts in 3D requires Java 1.1 compatible browsers, including:
• Internet Explorer (win 4.0+, mac 4.51) Higher performance with this browser.
• Netscape (win + Unix) 4.08+
• AOL 5.0+
• Macintosh Safari
ECN Related Questions
Which stock trading activity can be viewed on the 3D Stock Charts site?
We are currently charting NASDAQ limit orders that are being traded through Market Makers, ECNs and other exchanges representing over 90% of the total market share.
If a chart for a particular symbol is sparse or blank, click on the Totals tab to determine if there has been any activity throughout the day.
Do your tables and charts have the same information as Level 2 quotes?
Level 2 quotes include the top of book values for Nasdaq Market Makers as well as ECNs and other exchange traded stocks. Please refer to our disclaimer.
How do you go about buying and selling at the prices listed in your chart/table?
Nasdaq and the ECNs are SEC regulated services that require you to place limit orders via a registered securities broker. Contact your broker for information on how orders are routed and executed.
How can I check which Exchange or ECN my trade is routed through?
The simplest way to determine which ECN your stock is traded through is to ask your broker. Lists of participating brokerages are also available at the ECN websites.
Java Questions
What is an applet?
An applet is a piece of software, written in the Java programming language, which runs inside a web page. The browser automatically downloads applets when the web page is displayed. There is usually a delay after the web page is displayed before the applet is started. This is because the applet is being downloaded and initialized.
How do I enable JAVA for viewing 3DStockCharts?
If you are using Internet Explorer…click on TOOLS>INTERNET OPTIONS… then select ADVANCED. Scroll down to MICROSOFT VM and check JAVA CONSOLE ENABLED. Then restart your browser.
If you are using Netscape…click on EDIT>PREFERENCES…then select ADVANCED. There you will see a checkbox for ENABLE JAVA. Click this box and press OK.
If you are using Internet Explorer for Macintosh…click on EDIT>PREFERENCES…then select JAVA on the left-hand scroll menu and check the ENABLE JAVA box at the top of the screen. Click OK, and restart your browser.
My company blocks all Java scripting via a firewall. How can I see your charts?
You cannot. Java scripting is required.
Other Questions
How do I make money with 3DStockCharts as a stock trader?
Some of our customers use our charts as day-trading or special-situation tools gauging moment-to-moment buying and selling pressure, while others use them to time long-term purchases and sales based on company fundamentals. Still others use our charts to verify that their broker is giving them the "best" price.
Can I put your charts and graphs on my own website?
Yes. We license our charts, graphs, portfolios, and watchlists to other websites. Click here for more information on our component licensing.
Can I use your data to run a custom trading system?
Yes. We license both top of book and full book data with charting options to professional traders who use it with their own custom trading software Click here for more information on our component licensing. component licensing.
Copyright © 2007 3DStockChartsOnline.com.