Stream Deck with TradeStation

[wklodge 2]

Anybody set up TradeStation v9.5 using the Elgato Stream Deck? I have a rather large set of hotkeys for trading but don't know how to translate them to the Stream Deck. Their User Manual unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired.

If you used TradeStation, you know that hotkeys aren't set up the way they are in DAS. DAS is actually more comprehensive and flexible IMO.

So, I've created various hotkeys for Buying, Selling, Selling Short, and Covering. Can't do things like "sell 1/4 shares" as you can in DAS. Must calculate in your head what 1/4 shares would be and then sell that amount via the Matrix or Order Bar. So I've opted to just  create hotkeys to sell by shares, like Sell 100, Sell 200, etc. Also have hotkeys for selling All shares of course, including a Bailout hotkey when you absolutely must get out of the position. I document my hotkeys in OneNote, then print out for convenience. I'm pretty familiar with the hotkeys, but would like a Stream Deck version to increase physical accuracy and decrease mental load. As you can guess, I have on occasion made a mistake with hotkeys in the heat of the moment.

I have the XL version of Stream Deck. It has 32 keys. I envision all Buys and Sells to be on the first screen, and (somehow) have the Shorts and Covers on a second screen. Unfortunately, my hotkeys would take up all 32 keys. I see that there are "multi action" and "multi action switch" keys and wonder whether one could be used to switch between screens, instead of using a folder.

Can anybody offer any suggestions on how to start? If someone could show me how to do ONE key, I can probably complete the rest (at least I think so).

I envision separating the keys into two sets: one for narrow spreads, and one for wide spreads. With wide spreads it doesn't seem to make sense to Buy at Ask+.05. I'd rather buy at Bid+a couple of cents. I've already tried this setup on TradeStation and it works well. I usually get filled earlier (cheaper price).

If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts, please let me know. Thanks,

William

Edited February 25, 2020 by wklodge

[Brendon 146]

hey just curious, why did you decide to go with tradestation over das?

[wklodge 2]

25 minutes ago, Brendon said:

hey just curious, why did you decide to go with tradestation over das?

Because the TradeStation platform was free, including zero commissions. Less reliance on the Level 2 montage since TS has the Matrix (which also has Level 2 data on it).

I wasn't willing to pay the DAS platform fee, data fees, etc. I'm sure there were other reasons but can't think of them now.

[wklodge 2]

47 minutes ago, peterB said:

the streamdeck emulates any combination of keys you press on the keyboard so you need to start with the hotkey setup in tradestation like you had no streamdeck

you start the streamdeck app and rightclick on the key you want to edit and select the appropriate menu and press the key combination you are using in tradestation

then you can choose the custom text or icon for the key so it is easier to find

I thought I had done that but apparently not. I chose the Hotkey key under System on the Stream Deck, and entered the corresponding TS hotkey. I also was able to enter only one line on the key. I wanted two. One for the action (e.g., Buy 50) and another for the Price (e.g., Ask + .05). Couldn't do that though. The Stream Deck User Manual doesn't help either. I've searched Youtube too, but nobody gets down to the nitty gritty of setting up just a single key that I could repeat for other keys on the Stream Deck. The folder works though! The Hotkey key is in the System menu of the Stream Deck; the Folder key is in the Stream Deck menu. The CPU Usage key works.

[wklodge 2]

7 minutes ago, peterB said:

you are understanding it wrong. if your platform cannot do it on one keypress then streamdeck cannot do it in one keypress as well

one key can emulate one key press combination. it does not run the defined keys in a row but rather at once.

if you need to run a script of key combinations like you described then you need a "macro" and that you can accomplish by combining it with other software or hardware

Not sure I understand. For example, my hotkey to Buy 200 shares at Ask +.05 is Ctrl+2. StreamDeck can't do that??? What other software would I need?

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by wklodge

[wklodge 2]

2 minutes ago, peterB said:

it can do that for sure. what is the problem?

 

2 minutes ago, peterB said:

it can do that for sure. what is the problem?

I set up the hotkey for Ctrl+2 and nothing happens. It doesn't buy 200 shares. If I press Ctrl+2 on my keyboard, it buys 200 shares. I don't know what's wrong.

[Brendon 146]

im about ready to pay lodge's monthly DAS fees, this is painful but the determination will make him a great trader

[Yardley 6]

@wklodge who's your broker?

[Robohound 0]

@wklodge, wondering if you ever got Stream Deck working with your Tradestation Version 9.5? I just got one and programmed in my custom TS 9.5 hotkeys, but even when I tell the Stream Deck software to apply the Deck to active TS 9.5 when it's active, the TS 9.5 fails to respond to any of the keys. I did some testing in TS version 10, which does seem to work with Stream Deck with either the default hot keys (Tradestation default keyboard layout) or my own saved keyboard file with my custom hotkeys. But no matter what I try I can't get TS 9.5 to recognize the Stream Deck. Just wondering if you encountered same issue -- I'm not terribly inclined to migrate to TS 10 at this point. Thanks...

[wklodge 2]

On 4/6/2020 at 2:53 PM, Robohound said:

@wklodge, wondering if you ever got Stream Deck working with your Tradestation Version 9.5? I just got one and programmed in my custom TS 9.5 hotkeys, but even when I tell the Stream Deck software to apply the Deck to active TS 9.5 when it's active, the TS 9.5 fails to respond to any of the keys. I did some testing in TS version 10, which does seem to work with Stream Deck with either the default hot keys (Tradestation default keyboard layout) or my own saved keyboard file with my custom hotkeys. But no matter what I try I can't get TS 9.5 to recognize the Stream Deck. Just wondering if you encountered same issue -- I'm not terribly inclined to migrate to TS 10 at this point. Thanks...

@Robohound, No, never did get the Stream Deck to work with TradeStation ver 9.5. I haven't tried ver 10, but between you and me I've read in TS's forums NOT to upgrade b/c ver 10 still has lots of problems. My son uses ver 10 and complains all the time about it. I don't have a saved keyboard layout file. I just use the default layout and install my hotkeys on it. My hotkeys definitely work in ver 9.5, just not in the Stream Deck. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I know this doesn't help, but that's all I can say. Actually, one of the techs recommended going back to ver 9.1 since it's supposedly more stable than 9.5 or 10. Only problem is, that advice came from one of the techs from the company that made my trading laptop, not TS techs.

[wklodge 2]

On 2/25/2020 at 8:04 PM, Yardley said:

@wklodge who's your broker?

@Yardley, TradeStation Securities is my broker; TradeStation is my platform.

[Robohound 0]

@wklodge, thanks for the feedback here. It most definitely appears that there's something about the interface between TS 9.5 and Windows -- at least on my own system -- that is preventing the Stream Deck software from alerting Windows that the Deck is present in the system. The Stream Deck software requires you to designate what program you want the Deck to work with whenever it's running,  and the Stream Deck software definitely sees that TS 9.5 is on and allows me to select it. But for whatever reason, Windows isn't looking for or seeing the Stream Deck input device when TS 9.5 is running even though the Stream Deck software is telling it to. On the other hand, a couple of other programs I've tried the Deck with -- including TS10 and MS Word -- do respond to the programmed Deck keystrokes. So, if you programmed your hotkeys into your Stream Deck correctly with their software, and taken that last step to tell the Stream Deck software what program you want it to work with, and it's still not working, then you probably haven't done anything wrong. It's possible it just doesn't work with TS9.5 or there's another Windows setting that I'm not aware of that needs to be massaged. I'll keep trying to figure it out and post up a solution if I can find one; I do have an email into Elgato tech support right now, but the response times are very long at the moment.

In the meantime, I've set up my TS10 trading station and have been trying to get used to using it and the Stream Deck in sim. So far I'm finding ver 10 a bit of a pain to use, but I'm SO loving the Stream Deck. I have the 15 key version, and I have one page of hotkeys for Longs and another for  Shorts. I've posted the pics here. When I want to switch from entering and managing a Long trade to a Short, or go back, I hit the button on the upper left to toggle to the appropriate keys. They're a little hard to read in these images because the keys have the default graphic treatment behind them (they're more legible in person), but I'm going to switch these out for a plain background behind the type anyway. Having all the required buy and sell actions happen with a single hotkey (no +CTL or +ALT combos required) and having those clearly identified by function right on the button, then having all the buttons in one place... is a game changer for me.

[wklodge 2]

On 2/25/2020 at 8:04 PM, Yardley said:

@wklodge who's your broker?

Sorry for the late response but I don't visit the forums very often. My broker and trade platform is TradeStation.

[wklodge 2]

On 2/25/2020 at 3:44 PM, peterB said:

 

you just press the ctrl+2 on the bottom line Hotkey:

peterB,

I have my hotkeys set up exactly as you've shown. Seems pretty easy to me, but they don't work. Robohound (elsewhere in this thread) said he couldn't get Stream Deck to work with TradeStation v9.5 either. Supposedly it works with v10 but neither of us want to upgrade to v10 at this point. It has too many problems. Barely beta IMO. I don't know what else I can do at this point.

William

[wklodge 2]

On 4/11/2020 at 10:17 AM, peterB said:

this can be solved by assigning your desired keys to the default profile in streamdeck. that way it doe snot have to detect anything it just works. if you need to use different profiles in other apps just let streamdeck detect those instead of TS

i also recomend you to change the colors of the keys in streamdeck. i have been struggling with it when i used only one color for all operations

peterB,

I hate to be a pain about this, but I've done as you suggested -- assign hotkeys to the Stream Deck default profile. The only buttons that work for me in TradeStation v9.5 are (1) folder button that switches between Long and Short, (2) CPU % usage, (3) google.com, and (4) a button that goes to the BBT Login page. None of the buy and sell hotkeys work. Robohound has apparently upgraded to TS v10 and says that the Stream Deck works for that version. I'm very reluctant to upgrade to TS v10...my son uses it and absolutely hates it. He has all sorts of problems that I don't have in v9.5. He's not using the Stream Deck however. They changed the user interface in TS v10 along w/ some of the terminology used in the program (e.g., they use the word "study" instead of "indicator", which, of course, is not a big deal). They also have v9.5 commands now hidden in dropdown menus. I looked at the interface and find it rather confusing. I think it'll be a while before I upgrade to v10. I can't afford the time now to learn an entirely new interface, or deal with v10's own set of bugs.

Anyway, I must be doing *something* right since I got a few of the keys to work. If you have any more suggestions, please let me know. And thank you for your help so far.

William