User Guide - PIK OrderFlow Pro
PIK OrderFlow Pro
Everything you need to install, set up, and read the order-flow footprint indicator — with a full explanation of every on-screen element and every setting.
1. What PIK OrderFlow Pro Is
PIK OrderFlow Pro is a bid/ask footprint indicator for NinjaTrader 8. Instead of showing only price, it shows how much volume traded at the bid versus the ask at every price level inside each bar. That lets you see who is being aggressive — buyers or sellers — in real time.
On top of the raw footprint, it adds a color-coded imbalance heatmap, a per-bar volume profile, cumulative session delta, stacked-imbalance arrows, a bull/bear "in control" read, and a live bar-close countdown. Each of these is explained in detail below.
2. Requirements
| NinjaTrader 8 | The desktop platform (Windows). This indicator is written in NinjaScript for NinjaTrader 8 and will not run on other platforms. |
| Volumetric data series | Your chart's Data Series Type must be set to Volumetric (Order Flow). This is what provides per-price bid/ask volume. Without it the indicator cannot draw the footprint. (See section 4.) |
| A data feed with bid/ask volume | Your broker/data feed must supply tick-level bid & ask data (most futures feeds do). Best on liquid contracts: MNQ, NQ, MES, ES, CL, GC, etc. |
| Time-based bars (for the timer) | The live bar-countdown feature works on time-based charts (minute/second). All other features work on any Volumetric chart type. |
3. Installation
Method A — Import a NinjaScript file (.zip)
- In NinjaTrader, open the Control Center.
- Go to Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On…
- Select the file you downloaded and click Open. NinjaTrader imports and compiles it automatically.
Method B — Add the source file (.cs) manually
- Open the NinjaScript Editor (New → NinjaScript Editor).
- Create a new Indicator, then select-all and paste in the full contents of the
PIKOrderFlowPro.csfile. - Press F5 to compile. You should see "Compile succeeded."
4. Critical Setup: The Volumetric Data Series
This is the single most important step. PIK OrderFlow Pro reads per-price bid/ask volume, which only exists on a Volumetric chart. If your chart is a normal candlestick series, the indicator will show a one-line warning instead of a footprint.
- Open your chart and press Ctrl + F (or right-click → Data Series).
- Find the Type dropdown and choose Volumetric.
- Set your period (e.g. 5 Minute) and click OK.
5. Adding the Indicator to a Chart
- Right-click your Volumetric chart → Indicators… (or press the Indicators button).
- In the list, find PIKOrderFlowPro and double-click it to add it.
- Adjust the settings (see section 7) and click OK.
- For the cleanest look, turn Draw My Footprint Cells ON so the indicator draws its own aggregated footprint.
6. Reading the Chart — Every Element Explained
Footprint cells — “bid x ask”
Each row is one price level (or several ticks merged — see Ticks Per Row). The two numbers are bid volume × ask volume: how much sold into the bid (sellers) versus bought into the ask (buyers) at that price.
Cell colors — the imbalance heatmap
Cyan = a buy imbalance (aggressive buying far outweighs the diagonal bid below). Red = a sell imbalance. Teal/neutral = balanced. Imbalances mark where one side is being aggressive.
Delta column
The number beside each row is that row's delta (ask − bid), colored by sign. It tells you the net aggression at that exact price. You can move it to the left or right of the cells (see Delta On Left Side).
Bar header — delta over volume
Above each bar you'll see two stacked numbers: the bar's total delta (colored) over the bar's total volume (white). A quick gauge of who won the whole bar.
Stacked-imbalance arrows ▲▼
When several imbalances line up on the same side in a row, a green up-arrow (stacked buying) or red down-arrow (stacked selling) appears just left of the cells. Stacked imbalances often mark aggressive initiative and key levels.
Volume profile & Point of Control (POC)
On the right of each bar, horizontal bars show how much total volume traded at each price — longer = more volume. The gold bar is the Point of Control, the single highest-volume price of the bar. Colors can run as green/red delta heat or a cyan volume gradient (see settings).
The “IN CONTROL” box
Bottom-right, a summary panel reads the current bar as BULLS or BEARS, tags it CONTINUATION or ABSORPTION, and gives a one-line momentum note. It also shows the running Session CVD (cumulative delta) when enabled.
Live bar timer
A small countdown under the forming bar shows how long until it closes (e.g. 4:37), so you can time entries and exits to the bar close.
7. Settings Reference — Every Option Explained
Settings are grouped exactly as they appear in the indicator's properties window. Ranges are shown where they apply.
1. Imbalance
The diagonal ratio that flags an imbalance (e.g. 3 = 300%). A price is a buy imbalance when its ask volume is at least this many times the bid one level below (and vice-versa for sells). Higher = stricter (fewer, stronger signals); lower = more sensitive.
A cell must have at least this much volume to count as an imbalance. Raise it to filter out noise on thin, low-volume price levels.
How many price levels at the top and bottom of the bar count as the “extreme.” The control box uses this zone to decide continuation vs. absorption.
A fraction of the bar's range. A rejection wick greater than or equal to this near the extreme signals absorption; a close within this distance of the extreme signals continuation. Feeds the control-box read.
Turns the stacked-imbalance markers on/off. When on, a green up-arrow marks stacked buying and a red down-arrow marks stacked selling. Purely visual — no email or alert.
How many consecutive same-side imbalanced rows count as a “stack” before an arrow prints. Lower = more arrows; higher = only strong clusters.
Shows the running cumulative delta for the session (it resets each session) inside the control box. Great for spotting divergence between delta and price.
2. Display
OFF: let NinjaTrader's native Volumetric bars draw the footprint, and this indicator only adds the control box. ON: this indicator masks the native footprint and draws its own aggregated footprint so numbers stay readable when zoomed out. Most users keep this ON.
Merges this many ticks into one printed row. Higher = taller rows = numbers stay visible with more candles on screen. MNQ/NQ tick size is 0.25, so 4 = 1 point per row, 8 = 2 points per row.
Font size of the bid/ask numbers inside the cells.
Fills the price panel with the dark footprint background so the cells and numbers stand out.
Draws a thin OHLC candle in the left strip of each bar so price action stays visible even when the dark background masks the native candles.
Pixel width of the candle strip drawn on the left of each bar.
ON = the per-row delta (ask − bid) sits to the left of the bid/ask numbers. OFF = to the right. Personal preference.
Draws a border around each bar's footprint so it's clear which bar every number (including the delta column) belongs to.
Shows or hides the bottom-right “IN CONTROL” summary panel (BULLS/BEARS, continuation/absorption, and session CVD).
Outlines the highest-volume row in each bar and gold-marks it in the volume profile.
Empty buffer kept between adjacent bars so footprints don't bunch together when many candles are on screen. Increase this when zoomed out.
3. Volume Profile
Draws the per-row volume histogram on the right side of each bar.
Maximum pixel length of the volume bars — the Point of Control (highest-volume) row reaches this full length; every other row scales relative to it.
ON = color each volume bar by delta (green = net buying, red = net selling), brighter the more one-sided. OFF = a single neutral color.
ON = a LUX-style cyan gradient where brightness scales with each level's volume (the Point of Control glows brightest, low-volume levels fade dark). This overrides Heat Coloring when it's on.
4. Bar Timer
Shows a live countdown under the current forming bar (time-based charts) of how long until it closes.
Font size of the countdown; the surrounding box scales with it.
The color of the countdown text and its box outline.
5. Colors
Every core color is fully customizable so you can match your chart theme:
- Buy Imbalance — fill color for buy-imbalance cells (default cyan).
- Sell Imbalance — fill color for sell-imbalance cells (default red).
- Neutral Cell — fill color for balanced cells (default teal).
- Background — the dark footprint panel background.
- Text — the color of the numbers in the cells.
8. Recommended Starting Settings
A solid starting point for scalping liquid futures (MNQ / NQ / ES). Adjust to taste.
| Data Series Type | Volumetric |
| Draw My Footprint Cells | ON |
| Ticks Per Row | 4 (= 1 point on MNQ/NQ) |
| Imbalance Ratio | 3.0 – 3.5 |
| Min Imbalance Volume | 10 – 20 |
| Stacked Imbalance Arrows | ON, threshold 3 |
| Volume Profile | ON, Gradient Heat or Heat Coloring |
| Bar Padding | 6 (raise when zoomed out) |
9. Troubleshooting & FAQ
Your chart isn't Volumetric. Press Ctrl+F → set Type = Volumetric (section 4).
Increase Ticks Per Row (e.g. 4 → 8) and/or raise Bar Padding.
Make sure Stacked Imbalance Arrows is ON and try lowering Stack Threshold. Arrows only print when the market actually stacks imbalances.
The timer is for time-based bars (minute/second). It also assumes NinjaTrader's time zone matches your PC clock — if it's off by whole hours, check NinjaTrader's General → Time zone setting.
Turn Draw My Footprint Cells ON so the indicator masks the native footprint and draws only its own.
PIK OrderFlow Pro is an analysis and charting tool, not financial advice or a signal service. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
NinjaTrader® is a registered trademark of NinjaTrader Group, LLC; this product is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by NinjaTrader. © PriceIsKing / Vulture Data Solutions Inc.