NinjaTrader Automated Trading by Algo Futures Trader

hybrid algorithmic automated futures trading for prop firm traders, day & swing traders

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ATS Futures Trading Group Rebooted!

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ats vip trading group
ats vip trading group

VIP Trading Group Rebooted and Expanded so you got it all in 1 place, all you need for day trading prop trading

The VIP Trading Group has been rebooted and reorganized to create a cleaner, more focused environment for live market trading. The goal is to bring together live market flow, trader education, AI-assisted insights, technical analysis, trade signals, statistics, and market news in one place for active futures traders.

⚡ Trading Zone

Enhanced trade mastery, AI-assisted trader education, and market information are shared in a live trading environment focused on U.S. indices prop and day trading, typically from 8:15 AM CT to 11:00 AM CT, Monday through Friday.

  • The VIP Trade Chat section has moved from the ATS Support & Education Group into the VIP Trading Group, creating a dedicated live market trading environment for VIP traders.
  • Trading Zone hours: Monday to Friday, 8:15 AM CT to 11:00 AM CT is the primary live market session.
  • AI Trade Copilot commentary, pre-session analysis, and intraday market updates focused primarily on U.S. indices.
  • VIP Elite members and trialists may have read-only access depending on membership level.
  • Trade Mastery education and information may be posted by approved traders who have earned the ATS Trade Coach badge through the Zero to Hero process.
  • The objective is straightforward: follow the trade plan, use proven turnkey workspaces, and apply hybrid trading methods for Maximum Profits, Minimum Drawdown, and Least Emotion.
  • Market focus includes S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), Mid Cap (EMD), Small Cap (RTY), and related micro futures contracts.

Trading Education and Information

Additional educational content, trading insights, and trader-development material may be contributed by veteran ATS founders, experienced traders, and approved members who have earned the ATS Trade Coach badge through the Zero to Hero progression.

Topics may include trade planning, market structure, trader psychology, hybrid trading workflows, risk management, platform usage, execution techniques, and practical lessons learned from evaluation, prop firm, and live trading environments.

📰 Market News

The market-news channel provides market-moving news context and catalysts for U.S. indices futures traders.

Content focuses on pre-session preparation and key updates throughout the trading day covering U.S. equities, Treasury markets, oil, gold, economic releases, earnings, Federal Reserve commentary, and major risk events that may influence market direction and volatility.

The objective is to help traders understand the news environment surrounding price action without needing to monitor multiple external news sources.

🌡️ Sentiment

The sentiment channel provides a market sentiment dashboard showing bullish, bearish, and neutral news sentiment across indices, ETFs, commodities, sectors, and major market themes.

Sentiment data is intended to provide additional market context and awareness. It should be used as informational context rather than as a standalone trading signal.

🎯 Trade Signals

The trade-signals channel delivers trade signals, technical alerts, and market opportunities generated from ATS Hybrid Algo Trading systems.

Instrument Focus:

  • Equity Indices: ES, NQ, EMD, RTY
  • Commodities: CL, GC
  • Crypto: BTC

Signal types include ATS Session Breakout and trend-following systems such as DSFG, DSFG Gap, WSFG, MSFG, TR120, and TR720. Traders should use signals as market context and signal flow within their own trade plans, risk management rules, and decision-making processes.

🏆 Trades-n-Stats

The trades-n-stats channel has moved into the VIP Group and is open to VIP Trialists and VIP Elite members.

This channel focuses on hybrid trading statistics from real trade plans — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

VIP Elite members have read/write access. The purpose is to learn how to win by following a process, not by chasing random methods or repeating losing habits.

🔴 Trade Streams

The trade-streams channel has been revamped to focus on ES, NQ, EMD, and RTY, providing a static live market view during real-time trading hours.

The stream provides real-time Algo Server chart views, typically running from Monday 7:00 AM CT through Friday market close. The Discord stream channel itself remains available 24/7.

The primary focus is the ATS Session Breakout flagship trade plan, showing live market algo trading directly on the charts with baseline entries and exits displayed for reference.

Content Lifecycle

To keep information fresh, relevant, and easy to consume in a live trading environment, most VIP Group channels automatically self-delete content daily.

Over weekends, the final trading day’s content remains visible until the next market open, allowing traders to review the most recent market context before the new trading week begins.

Summary

The VIP Trading Group is now structured to provide traders with a complete live market ecosystem that combines market news, sentiment analysis, trade signals, live trading discussion, education, statistics, and real-time chart streams in one focused environment. Whether trading evaluation accounts, prop firm accounts, or live capital, the goal remains the same: build consistency through process, discipline, and hybrid man-plus-machine trading.

Announcing AFT8 Update Release version 20250919

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AFT8 Update Release – Freemium Workspaces, Smarter Trails, and Next-Level Stability

Audience: All traders • Applies to: AFT8 (NinjaTrader 8)

Quick Summary

We’re excited to announce a major AFT8 update, bringing new Freemium Workspaces, re-tuned settings for tighter and more responsive turnkey trails, and several under-the-hood improvements that push NinjaTrader performance to new levels. This release continues our mission: making advanced, professional-grade futures trading accessible to all traders.

What’s New

  • Freemium Workspaces: New setups that highlight tighter trading nuances, with T1/T2 trails (variants B and C) designed to show more precise stop behavior. Other workspaces give trades room to breathe, allowing traders to see both tight and loose trail management in action.
  • Trail Offsets Reworked: Default distances have been tightened, moving away from swing-trading artifacts and aligning instead with prop/day-trading defaults.
  • Bidirectional Entry/Exit Orchestration: Round-robin, fine-grain locks coordinate both directions — Trade Manager ↔ Algo Entry — so the active side finishes first. This works in 1:1 and many:many topologies across multiple algos and exit managers, preventing jams, thread-pool starvation, and tick-churn/render delay.
  • Asymmetric Threading Model: Our long-running thread design avoids clogging NT8’s thread pool, keeping NinjaTrader responsive under heavy load – something 99.9% of vendor systems cannot claim.
  • Reploshed Bars & Tick Aggregation: A new adaptive bars engine removes the need for tick purging on NT lag/render delays. Instead, we aggregate ticks in parallel with up to 5× compression, preserving all price/time information while keeping NT8 smooth during news events, market opens, and heavy volume sessions. Another original MicroTrends Ltd invention.
  • NT8 Maintenance Modes: Built-in recovery tools to free stuck orders and improve fault tolerance. OCO entry mode now uses a 5% margin up/down (10% total) by default.
  • Multi-Shot Entry & Exits: Available for AFT8 Lifetime (year 1) users or traders who have renewed their maintenance or lease plans.
  • IntelliStop Migration: The AFT7 invention has been fully integrated into AFT8. IntelliStop is a trailing stop that adapts based on profit as a % of the expected Fib Grid range, with linear and parabolic modes.
    • For example, in a day-trading breakout with a typical 100% range, IntelliStop begins trailing at 50% profit and will close out at 100%.
    • Traders can cap the maximum tightening (e.g., 80%), leaving a final 20% buffer to let winners run.
aft gold intelli stop trail stop
AFT gold intelli-stop trail stop -locking into 100% level with a margin

Innovation Credits

This release includes several proprietary inventions and IP owned by ATS, including: the Fib Grid, USAR methods, Apaptive Bars, and the Intelli-Stop system – both designed to help traders manage risk and profits more intelligently under real-world trading conditions.

Get Started

AFT8 will automatically announce this update via a popup on your next usage.
You can also download the update directly from your ATS account:
ATS User Account › Downloads.

Freemium workspaces are available now. Existing AFT8 Lifetime and maintenance/lease users can access Multi-Shot and IntelliStop features immediately. Update today and experience the new responsive trails, smarter stops, and improved NT8 performance under load.

AFT8 Update – Key Highlights

Quick Summary

  • Freemium Workspaces: New turnkey trails (T1/T2 B & C) show tighter trading nuances, while other workspaces allow trades more breathing room.
  • Trail Offsets: Defaults adjusted from swing-style to prop/day-trading responsive settings.
  • Entry/Exit Orchestration: Round-robin, fine-grain locks coordinate Trade Manager ↔ Algo Entry (1:1 or many:many), preventing jams, thread-pool starvation, and tick-churn/render delay.
  • Performance Boost: Adaptive bars with parallel tick aggregation (up to 5× compression) keep NT8 smooth during news/opens and heavy volume.
  • Maintenance & Recovery: New modes to free stuck orders; OCO entry margins adjusted.
  • Multi-Shot & IntelliStop: Available to AFT8 Lifetime (year 1) and renewed users; IntelliStop provides linear & parabolic adaptive trailing stops based on Fib Grid range.

How to Update: AFT8 will announce the update via popup on next usage. You can also download it from your ATS account here:
ATS User Account › Downloads.

Note

These updates include proprietary innovations AFT8 methods and technology including: hybrid automation trade engine, Adaptive bars, Fib Grids, USAR, MultiShot trade copier, Intelli-Stop trail system + more.

Emini Indices Futures Rollover for period 202512 – beware AFT8 will filter and close out expiry contracts within the algo systems

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E-mini Indices Rollover – September 15, 2025

The E-mini indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY) are rolling over on September 15, 2025 into the new December 2025 (12-25) contracts.
The E-mini indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY) are rolling over on September 15, 2025 into the new December 2025 (12-25) contracts.

⚠️ Important Notice for AFT Traders

If you are using the AFT Algo Entry module, please be aware:

  • The system may filter out new trades on the expiring September 2025 (09-25) contract.
  • Trades could be closed automatically by the AFT Algo Trade Manager if rollover is flagged in NT8 for ES, NQ, and other E-mini futures.

📊 Tip: Keep Historical Data Updated

For the most accurate results with self-adapting charts, make sure to download historical data regularly:

  • Shortcut: Select a chart and press Ctrl + Shift + R.
  • Best Practice: Use the Historical Data module to download tick, minute, and daily data.
  • Recommendation: Refresh 7–7 days of history weekly (e.g., Sunday/Monday session start).
  • Pro Tip: Download 2 days of data daily to keep your charts consistent and error-free.

Staying on top of data downloads ensures that your adaptive indicators and AFT modules perform at their best during contract rollovers.

AFT8 update version 20240611 license hotfixes and updates

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AFT v20240611 Hot Fixes for NinjaTrader Automated Trading


AFT8 Algos BaseLine 003 Turnkey Workspace

AFT8 Algos BaseLine 003 Turnkey Workspace

AFT8 version 2024 is now released and ready for download or update from the popup notices.

AFT8 Updater

AFT8 Updater popup can be used to install.

https://algotradingsystems.net/Downloads

Release Notes

  1. AFT8 License modes are enforced – real-time indicator plots will become invisible, signals and alerts disabled, algo entry and trade manager automation disabled.
  2. AFT8 can now be installed with no licenses or desktop apps and works with no license notifications for Sim, NT Demo, replay non-live trading, non-prop firm modes.
  3. Apex Prop Firm and Bulenox are supported for Evaluation trading for the Get Funded Accelerator save 80% + an additional promo code on top!
    1. For all other modes of prop firm or live trading, a license is required.
  4. Tracing and error message logging are now separated and accessible in the NinjaTrader Trace folder “\Documents\NinjaTrader 8\trace”.
  5. NinjaTrader Alert Window “AFT8 License Alert” will pop up once for each NinjaTrader session if licenses are required.
  6. AFT8 License Alerts details notes will be saved to the folder “\Documents\AlgoFuturesTrader\Docs” and pop up in a default web browser.
  7. AFT8 Code: Core optimization and error handling routines have been refactored for best speed, reliability, and local trace/error reporting.
  8. Indicators
    1. Indicator: Alpha PSAR – our interpretation of the PSAR has a new parameter “Trend Mode” added which allows a variant method for trend reversal calculation – this looks super awesome, check it out!
    2. Indicator: Dynamic Trend – removes some parameters and adds in PSAR Template for the secondary trend mode via settings template – create a PSAR template and use it in the Dynamic Trend for ease.
    3. Indicator: Generic Signals:
      1. New Rule 20: “Evolving Market Profile” Crossover on the Session Fib Grid Profile: Year, Month, Week, and Day – you need to switch on Market Profile Mode in the FibGrid.
      2. Fixes to Trade Signal Mode 1 – count of rules as a percentage bias.
      3. Fixes to Rule 19 – SFG-VWAP Crossover.
  9. AFT Workspaces are all available on day 1 of signup and a trader can go at their own pace and decide which one to install when they are ready.
  10. AFT VIP workspaces are provided in the Installer AFT Workspaces no4 and will sync updates to the local machine for VIP.
    1. BaseLine Futures Fully Automated Trading Systems “AFT8-Algos-BaseLine-004” has no charts at all, only the Algo Entry and Exits running.
    2. AFT8-Algos-BaseLine-003 has charts with rotating tabs the same as the algo server and a handful of indices on session breakout.
  11. Note: For Lifetime Owners who do not run the maintenance, the full feature of Trade Management will still work for live account trading. The Algo Entry Module will require renewal for live account trading and prop firm trading.

tip for the best results ninjatrader automated trading futures

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What can set you apart and put you in the top 20% of traders – the winners?

Get a routine and make it a habit; it will make you or break you! So make sure it is a good habit!

Have a Trade Plan:

  1. Define capital and risk per trade.
  2. Set trading goals and loss limits for the day and week.
  3. Select the system and instruments.
  4. Prepare system templates and workspaces.
  5. Schedule when to be at the trading desk, set the system in action, and know when to pause.

Pre-Session

  • Check the prior session and view a higher time frame analysis to get the bigger picture of the market.
  • Set a bias for the session, long or short.
  • Prepare the system with lots, risk, and limits for one trade or multiple trades.
  • Get the trade controllers ready for action with the controls you use at the ready.
  • Assess if the open is a high probability setup and entry.
  • Decide to go in with half clip or full risk according to your plan.
  • Decide whether to wait for the first 30 minutes, 5 minutes, or 1 minute of the open.

Tactics

  • Let trades run to the close – scale out.
  • Increase accuracy and limit drawdowns.
  • Use AlphaWebTrader for correlations and technicals.
  • Trade less, not more – trade smarter!

Trade Diary Stats and Notes

  • For each trade, make a screenshot of the entry and any other timeframes.
  • Note the levels, trends, and correlations of technicals, price cycles, and market news cycles.
  • Do this for the exits too, and note whether it was a winner or loser, mistake or fair trade.

Maintenance Routine
View help desk article on NinjaTrader Bars and Data

  1. Futures contract rollover.
  2. Instrument data
    1. Each day pre-session, download and get fresh data.
    2. Use the instrument manager and a list.
    3. Or refresh the data on the charts!

AFT Session Breakout needs 7 days of data downloaded to get the best consistent results of signals, range, and bars. To stay in sync across multiple desktop PCs, this task needs to be performed each day pre-session. Typically, download the last 2 days, and on weekends, download the last 7 to 7 days to get the corrections and backfills.

how did the fib grid technology and trade systems get invented?

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Daily Fib Grid Session

The proprietary Fib Grid and Range Grid technology first came to mind in 2007 when working for TCA Futures (RIP) in a trading arcade in the City of London – UK’s Wall St. It was conceived in response to a reprimand from the S&P500 desk head trader. He was fuming and publicly criticized me in front of some 120 other traders after hours in the daily retrospective. He’d seen my appalling trade via his CQG trade desk admin module, questioning why I was trading long at the top of the market, one hour out, quite near the end of the session. It was obvious, but I thought, how do you know where the top of the market is? Later that night, I envisioned the Fib Grid and Range Grid to show me. Back then, it was Excel and CQG, and here we are with NinjaTrader from 2009 to 2024. It’s still my core methodology, battle-tested in institutional, hedge fund, and retail trading.

Fib Grid Multi Time Frames
  • YSFG – Yearly Session Fib Grid
  • MSFG – Monthly Session Fib Grid
  • WSFG – Weekly Session Fib Grid
  • DSFG – Daily Session Fib Grid
Now combine this with structured price action, time, and a catalyst to provide the conditional trade setup for a high-probability move. Then use the signals/rules as the trade entry method and let the system do the rest.

Fib Grid Session Breakout Basics

Around 2008/2009, I then worked on the concept of the Fib Grid session breakout, using it to prevent my ludicrous out-of-control scalping. Up to 1200 trade operations in one day was my record, plus burnout after TCA Futures as a privateer with MFGlobal. It made my broker rich and me a 35% account loss – Emini ES trading, not small change, it hurt badly. So I stopped and later was reborn as a day/swing trader, making 1 to 3 trades per day on the DSFG. This method is used in the ATS Discord groups as a core method to teach good habits and run the trades. Fib Grid made me and saved me, thank you to the head trader.

Note: From 2015, when I traded for managed futures/futures hedge funds, I used WSFG breakouts and MSG breakouts and let that go for several weeks/months. You could get up to 100K per lot sometimes on NQ or ES FDAX, etc. So some quite serious trades have gone down, and a good lot of time too. https://algotradingsystems.net/About I guess I could follow tradition and call it the Leeson lines after my surname, as some did and still do, but to me, FibGrid has more meaning. AlgoFuturesTrader contains all the latest evolution of the FibGridTrading systems and is 100% free for sim/NT demo and prop firm evaluation trading. Enjoy & happy trading. Tom Leeson

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  • 7-day Free Trial Ultimate universal license
  • Self Assist or Get Assisted download & installation
  • Turnkey workspaces setup ready to trade
  • Free Discord Trading Group Zero to Hero
  • VIP Trading Groups with AI Co-Pilot
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