Please allow two instances of a tick replay to be run in two instances of eSignal

[Foober]

Hi,

I want to be able to do this:





Run two instances of a tick replay file in two instances of eSignal with different tick intervals, such that I do not have to endure this upon changing the tick interval when in playback mode:

A decidedly long-ass time is how long it takes for that progress bar to recompute 10 days of YM tick data with my studies placed on top of it. (Quad core, 2 gigs of medium-speed ram, separate physical Raptor drive for the paging file, zero background programs running, EFS settings of heapsize 163840K and stack size 320K. I don't know what settings are best for heap size and stack size because eSignal does not tell us, but I list them because they are relevant numbers for EFS computing speed. eSignal person if you reply to this post, please tell me what to set heap size and stack size to for best performance, thanks.)

This is what one sees when one tries to run a second instance of a tick replay file in a second instance of eSignal:



Because the file is in use or whatever. Please make the tick replay files be loaded into some kind of global cache that can be accessed by other instances of eSignal, or make it so changing the tick interval in replay mode does not take a decidedly long-ass time to do.

Much thanks to the eSignal programmers for taking a break from their stat arbing to immediately begin applying thought towards this matter in order to find possible solutions.

Your #1 customer,

Foober

[eSignal_JasonK]

Hello Foober,

Please be aware that running multiple instances of eSignal is not supported. For more details please read the following article from our eSignal KnowledgeBase, Running Multiple Instances of eSignal.

[Foober]

I got it to work by duplicating the tick replay file and then loading the copy into another instance of eSignal. Such an obvious solution seems hardly worth the drama of my original post.

Now it appears, however, that only three instances of eSignal may be run at any one time. This is an issue. Who wrote that if statement? if (attemptedInstances>3) denyFunctionalityToCustomer();? If I want my computer brought to a crawl, that would be my business. Upon double-clicking the eSignal icon while having three instances already running, the cursor goes to an hourglass for 5 seconds and then to not an hourglass, and another instance does not start. This may be a Windows issue, like out of Windows heap or something, but I would prefer to blame it on eSignal. Does eSignal indeed not allow more than three instances of itself to be run? If so, then please make that no longer so.

[demarcog]

Originally posted by Foober
I got it to work by duplicating the tick replay file and then loading the copy into another instance of eSignal. Such an obvious solution seems hardly worth the drama of my original post.

Now it appears, however, that only three instances of eSignal may be run at any one time. This is an issue. Who wrote that if statement? if (attemptedInstances>3) denyFunctionalityToCustomer();? If I want my computer brought to a crawl, that would be my business. Upon double-clicking the eSignal icon while having three instances already running, the cursor goes to an hourglass for 5 seconds and then to not an hourglass, and another instance does not start. This may be a Windows issue, like out of Windows heap or something, but I would prefer to blame it on eSignal. Does eSignal indeed not allow more than three instances of itself to be run? If so, then please make that no longer so.

Hi Foober,

I also do alot of tick replaying with tick data and the Playback Synchronization always takes less then a minute. My biggest issue is that tick playback itself can take 30-60 minutes using a speed setting of 200.

You are a patient man, BTW how long does a tick replay take speed setting of 1?

You may want to try altering that setting even if only temporarily to the max of 200 and before changing the tick interval and see if that makes a difference.

I wouldn't be comfortable running multiple instances of esignal while trading expecially during the open/news etc, and it seems like alot of work. But if it works for you that's fine.

IYou are probably aware, and I've never tried this (as a matter of fact was going to for the first time in a few minutes (...I know ..wild life I lead on a Sat, night in NYC running tick replays).

But Alex did a write some time ago I think in his fileshare and you can run multiple charts in tick interval, although not sure exactly how to set it up. I know it works though because a few time s by accident I noticed two charst ticking away and cancelled on think I had messed something up.

I'm also curious have you seen different results for speed setting of 1 versus a higher value, ie., why use 1? I thought the speed setting was simply that, the speed factor the ticks are processed and not a tick "skip" factor. If I specify 200 and 199 are skipped I would think they results would be way off from actual trading and I haven't send that.

You mentioned a counter regarding number of tick replays allowed. When dealing with synchronizing multiple of instances of eSignal I don't think it would be that simple. But, that speed setting maximum of 200, seems somehat arbitrary and perhaps that is a simple counter change in a C program or javascript somewhere.

If so then increasing that to 2000 or 200,000 might actually solve the problem.

Good Luck, and hope this helps.

Glen

If that's the case then upping

[demarcog]

Pardon the numerous typos in my last post, hope you can understand it.

I usually Submit Reply and then proof read it as it's alot easier to see the errors and forgot there is a requirement to to input a blank line first and can't edit the errors.

Glen

ps...Alex if you're in there and can hook me up with a blank line I'd appreciate it very much.

[Foober]

demarcog,

I do not use the tick replay speed settings; I load the entire tick replay and then the speed is 0 after it is loaded. To load a replay, I place 9999 into the "forward X minutes" field and then press Jump, and then after a pause half of a 10 day tick replay is loaded, and then I press Jump again and then after another pause the data is outputted, and due to a buffer underrun bug in eSignal, studies are then printed at an offset from the data they are supposed to have been calculated from.

Pictorial evidence:





If this was fixed in 10.0 or 10.0 R2, I apologize; I have not tested this in those versions. This is with version 8.0.

[demarcog]

Foober,

I use tick replay as a way of simulating as closley as possible actual automated trading using the generic broker functions.

Is that what you are using it for?

As it not clear to me what other use tick replay would have given the amount of effort except firing trades. To paint an indicator on the screen, it seems easier to just load the study or run bar replay?

When using the jump option, it's my understanding that a portion of the tick data is ....well 'jumped" over which would kind of defeat the purpose for me.

Especially considering that 10 days of tick data is all that is available right now, I've had no reason yet to skip any of this data.

I thought your primary issue was the amount of time it takes to resynchronize the chart after changing the tick interval?

Figured it was worth a shot in changing that speed parameter, but sounds like I misunderstand the problem?

Now I'm not sure what the issue is aside from your general seemingly unhappiness with eSignal which is certainly your perogative and can understand your frustration.

I agree eSignal is is far from perfect, but seriously if you find something better (as I've looked at many myself) particularily the accurate, timely and solid price data feed ) please let me know as I'm also interested in using the best available tools out there.

Glen

[eSignal_AveryH]

Hello Foober,
I've read the post twice and I'm confused. I guess I didn't understand why you're trying or need to run multiple instances of the Tick Replay or eSignal.

Please correct me if I'm wrong in my thinking or understanding, but it sounds like you want to be able to see different chart intervals while doing the tick replay.

If this is the case, you could link the charts together set the interval and then do the tick replay. it would replay in each of the charts at their respective intervals.

Here's an article on Symbol linking.

I hope this helps.

AveryH
eSignal Support.

[Foober]

Thank you very much ahodgee for that idea. Linking multiple charts of symbol $PLAYBACK and of different tick intervals does indeed allow one to display a tick replay on multiple tick intervals within a single instance of eSignal. This new knowledge will increase my efficiency in writing a profitable trading system.

[demarcog]

Originally posted by Foober
Thank you very much ahodgee for that idea. Linking multiple charts of symbol $PLAYBACK and of different tick intervals does indeed allow one to display a tick replay on multiple tick intervals within a single instance of eSignal. This new knowledge will increase my efficiency in writing a profitable trading system.

Foober,

I apologize for not communinicating that more clearly in my first post when I mentioned to check the document that Alex created on the exact procedure for running multiple chars in tick replay as I had forgotten the chart link.

ahodgee,

Thanks very much for mentioning exactly how to accomplish that as it helps me also as I'd forgotten.

Glen

[eSignal_AveryH]

I'm glad I could be of help. We're all here to help each other.


AveryH
eSignal Support