Shade Time Zone

Adding the indicator to your chart

You can add the Shade Time Zone indicator to your chart using either of the following methods:

• Right-click on the chart and select Indicators from the context menu.
• Click the Indicators icon on the chart title bar.

Understanding the Properties

The screenshot below shows all available parameters for the Shade Time Zone indicator. Refer to the following sections for detailed explanations of each parameter.

General

Start time

Defines the time at which the shaded area begins. Enter the time using the 24-hour format (HH:MM:SS).

Example: To start shading at 4:00 PM, enter 16:00:00.

Default value: 16:00:00

End time

Defines the time at which the shaded area ends. Enter the time using the 24-hour format (HH:MM:SS).

Example: To end shading at 9:30 AM, enter 09:30:00.

Default value: 09:30:00

Note: The Start time and End time define a time range that is applied to every trading day visible on the chart. If the End time is earlier in the day than the Start time, the shaded zone spans overnight — from the Start time on one day to the End time on the following day. For example, a Start time of 16:00:00 and an End time of 09:30:00 shades the period from the 4:00 PM close through the 9:30 AM open of the next session, covering the full overnight and pre-market window.

Shade area color

Sets the background color used for the shaded time zone. Click the color swatch to open the color picker and select your preferred color.

You can use distinct colors to differentiate between multiple Shade Time Zone instances running on the same chart. For example, use one color for pre-market hours and a different color for the post-market session.

Shade area opacity (%)

Controls the transparency level of the shaded area. Values range from 0 (fully transparent, invisible) to 100 (fully opaque, solid fill).

Lower opacity values keep the shading subtle so that price bars and other indicators remain clearly visible through the shaded region. Higher values make the session boundary stand out more prominently.

Setup

The following parameters are standard NinjaTrader indicator setup options.

Calculate

Controls when the indicator recalculates its values. Available options are:

• On bar close — The indicator recalculates once per bar, when the bar closes. This is the recommended setting as it minimizes CPU usage.
• On each tick — The indicator recalculates on every incoming tick. This increases CPU load and is generally not necessary for a session shading indicator.
• On price change — The indicator recalculates whenever the price changes.

Performance recommendation: Keep this setting at On bar close to minimize CPU usage.

Label

Sets the name displayed for this indicator instance on the chart and in the Indicators dialog. You can customize this label to distinguish between multiple instances of the indicator when shading several different time zones on the same chart.

Maximum bars look back

Specifies how many historical bars the indicator references. In most cases, the default value of 256 is sufficient.

Visual

Auto scale

Due to the design of the Shade Time Zone indicator, this property has no effect. The shaded zone covers the full vertical space of the chart, including any additional panels.

Short indicator name

When this parameter is active, the indicator name displayed on the chart title bar is shortened to Shade Time Zone instead of the indicator name that includes the selected time parameters. Enable this option to reduce clutter on the chart when working with multiple indicators.

Displacement

This parameter has no effect for this indicator.

Panel

Specifies the panel the Shade Time Zone indicator is attached to. This parameter has no functional effect — by design, the shaded zone always extends across the full vertical range of the chart, regardless of which panel is selected.

Price marker(s)

This parameter has no effect for this indicator.

Scale justification

This parameter has no effect for this indicator.

Visible

Controls whether the Shade Time Zone indicator is displayed on the chart. Uncheck this parameter to hide the shading without removing the indicator, allowing you to temporarily remove it from view and restore it later.

Tips and usage examples

Shading multiple sessions

To shade more than one time zone — for example, both pre-market hours and a lunch window — add multiple instances of the Shade Time Zone indicator to the same chart. Configure each instance with its own Start time, End time, Shade area color, and opacity. Using a distinct color for each instance makes it easy to identify each session at a glance.

Example configuration for a session-aware chart:

Shading overnight sessions

Because the indicator supports overnight ranges (where End time is earlier than Start time), you can highlight the full overnight and pre-market period with a single instance. Set the Start time to the regular session close and the End time to the next day’s regular session open.

Choosing opacity

A Shade area opacity value between 5 and 15 is typically sufficient to make sessions visually distinct without obscuring price action or indicator overlays. If your chart background is dark, a slightly higher opacity value may be needed for the shading to be visible.

Help

User guide

Displays the URL link to this user guide. Copy and paste the link into your web browser to access the complete documentation for detailed instructions and reference.

Version

Displays the version number of the Shade Time Zone indicator. This is a read-only parameter that shows which version of the tool is currently installed.