INSTRUMENT CATALOG
Choose a signal you can explain.
Inspect indicator inputs, plots, placement and access before carrying one into the chart or a strategy document.
THE CATALOG
The catalog is a contract, not a gallery
The Indicators catalog is where you inspect an instrument before it becomes part of a chart or strategy. Read the definition, inputs, plots, placement and access state as one contract.
Meridian includes classic indicators, composite panes and in-chart overlays. The category tells you how the instrument is shaped; it does not tell you how much weight it deserves in a decision.
- InputsDefaults, ranges and selectable options that change the calculation or presentation.
- PlotsThe lines, bands, fills or markers that the renderer can place on the chart.
- PlacementWhether the instrument belongs on the price field as an overlay or in its own pane.
- AccessPublic, member or Pro availability shown by the catalog and detail surface.
BEFORE THE CHART
Inspect an indicator in four passes
Read the description
Name the market question the instrument is designed to answer before you compare its line with price.
Check inputs and defaults
A default is a starting point, not a universal truth. Note the period, thresholds, source and presentation fields that matter.
Read the plots and colors
Plot names and semantic colors tell you what the renderer is communicating. Do not reuse a visual channel for a different meaning.
Add it to the intended context
Use the chart only after the placement, scale and timeframe match the question you are asking.
Open Chart
PLACEMENT
Choose the surface by meaning
| Surface | Use it for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay | A level, band, trend or event that belongs to the price field. | A shared axis can make unrelated values look comparable. |
| Pane | An oscillator, energy, flow or composite state with its own scale. | A pane is not automatically more objective than an overlay. |
| Widget | A compact lens, status or comparison that supports a decision. | A summary can hide the series and assumptions beneath it. |
| Strategy input | A value the executable graph uses as a source or condition. | A pretty chart placement does not guarantee valid strategy wiring. |
PRESENTATION
Settings change the read, so keep them attached
Indicator settings expose calculation inputs and presentation controls together. When comparing two reads, record the settings that changed the value, plot, fill, line or candle Paint behavior.
The chart keeps presentation close to the indicator owner so a style change does not silently become a new calculation. If you only need a visual emphasis, change the presentation field rather than copying the indicator into a parallel pipeline.
Several instruments can share the same source, timeframe or assumption. Treat confluence as a claim to inspect, not a count of lines on the screen.
OPEN THE SURFACE