Hello, I'm new and just learning how to use bookmap and footprint for trading futures and I have questions: Please take a look to the attached screenshot of Bookmap. There you can see a bookmap excerpt from the GOLD futures from 11/10/2022. Question: 1.) The yellow-orange bar at number 1: Are these all sell-limit orders? Or are there buy limit orders there as well? And how do I find out how many sell and how many buy limit orders are hidden in the crossbar? 2.) Same question as number 1. 3.) The orange bar at number 3: Are these all buy limit orders? Or are there also sell limit orders? And how do I find out how many buy and how many sell limit orders are hidden at this point, on this crossbar? So is there a way to break down the yellow-orange bar with Bookmap or other programs and determine how many long and how many short limit orders are hidden in it? Can Bookmap do that? And if not, are there any alternative programs which can do so? And 4.) Is there a feature / setting in Bookmap or other programs that shows me FOOTPRINT and DOM / order book for limit orders that have not yet been redeemed and market orders that have already been redeemed separately for CME and COMEX futures? I would like to see both: A footprint and order book for already filled market orders and for limit orders not filled yet in REALTIME. Question: Is there such a feature / setting in Bookmap and if so, what is it called? Where can I find it? And what are the costs for such features? I have to make a decision between some programs for order a license and I need to know, which one has the best price-performance-ratio. Can you help in this matter too? As I understand right, bookmap does not offer realtime data in any version, is that right? I need Realtime Data for forex, gold futures and US10yr Bonds and I need the follow features: - DOM, Orderbook for unfilled limit orders and for market orders in separate columns - Time & Sales List - Volume Profil - DELTA - HEATMAP - FOOTPRINT for unfilled limit orders and for market orders switchable - Signals or Alert in Case of ICEBERG ORDERS or Large Lot Tracker The follow programms I would like to test: NinjaTrader Rithmic ATAS Volfix Volbook (via AMP) Jigsaw Sierrachart Quantower Which one is the best for my needs? I am grateful for any help. Greetings Thommy
Hi Thommy Limit orders can only exist at a price that's better than the inside market, so sell limit orders ABOVE the current market; buy limit orders BELOW the current market. Bookmap is showing the historical market depth at prices. You see what's currently being advertised by looking at the DOM. From the nature of your questions it would be worthwhile studying some of the "introduction to futures" courses that the CME have to get an understanding of the mechanics of what happens when a trade occurs: https://www.cmegroup.com/education/courses/introduction-to-futures.html With your interest in order flow/traded volume/liquidity, I'd also recommend taking the free education here: https://www.tradingresearchgroup.com/free-futures-trading-education/ that will get you proficient in understanding the relationship between the DOM, time & sales and representations of traded volume in the footprint, volume profiles, etc. Don't kid yourself on tracking icebergs. So you see absorption in realtime (by reading the footprint, profile or DOM). Who cares how it's being executed and what are you going to do? Go with it? Fade it? All that matters is how the market reacts to what's being traded. In terms of platforms... for order flow, it is very hard to beat Sierra Chart for performance and price. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.
You cannot have buy limit orders above the market price and vise versa. Purchase orders placed at a price higher than market prices are stop orders (market) or limit if touched (trigger a limit order when market prices touch the order). These kinds of orders are not displayed on the order book.