📊 Smc Trend Heatmap — User Guide
SMC MULTI-TIMEFRAME TREND BIAS EMA DASHBOARD METATRADER 5
Welcome to the official user guide for Smc Trend Heatmap — a free multi-timeframe bias dashboard for MetaTrader 5 that scans five timeframes simultaneously (M5, M15, M30, H1, H4) and shows you the current trend direction on each using a strict, rule-based EMA logic. At a glance you know whether the market is bullish, bearish, or neutral across the timeframe stack — before you look at a single candle.
- Installation
- What the Dashboard Actually Shows
- How the Bias Rules Work (Strict Logic)
- All Input Parameters Explained
- Reading the Dashboard — Examples
- How to Use It with Other SMC Indicators
- Common Mistakes
1️⃣ Installation
| 1 | Log in to your MQL5 account inside MetaTrader 5 (bottom toolbar → MQL5.community). |
| 2 | Press F4 to open MetaEditor. Navigate to Market → Purchased / Free in the Navigator panel. |
| 3 | Find Smc Trend Heatmap. Click Install. |
| 4 | Return to MT5. Open any chart. Right-click → Insert → Indicators → Custom → Smc Trend Heatmap. |
| 5 | Configure inputs and click OK. |
| 6 | ✅ The dashboard panel appears in the corner of your chart — no lines or arrows are drawn on the price chart itself. |
2️⃣ What the Dashboard Actually Shows
The dashboard is a fixed panel containing one row per enabled timeframe. Each row shows three pieces of information: the timeframe label, the current bias direction, and a directional icon. At the bottom, an OVERALL summary aggregates all rows.
──────────────────────
TF BIAS DIR
M5 BULLISH ▲
M15 BULLISH ▲
M30 NEUTRAL ◆
H1 BEARISH ▼
H4 BEARISH ▼
──────────────────────
OVERALL: ◆ NEUTRAL
In the example above, the short-term timeframes (M5, M15) are bullish while the longer timeframes (H1, H4) are bearish. The OVERALL reads NEUTRAL because neither side has a majority — this is a warning sign of choppy conditions. The ideal scenario is when all five rows agree.
3️⃣ How the Bias Rules Work (Strict Logic)
The bias for each timeframe is determined by three simultaneous conditions — not just a single EMA crossover. All three must be true for a BULLISH or BEARISH reading. Any deviation results in NEUTRAL. This eliminates false bias readings during sideways markets.
| Bias Result | Condition 1 | Condition 2 | Condition 3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▲ BULLISH | Fast EMA (21) > Slow EMA (50) | Current price > Trend EMA (200) | Fast EMA is rising (current value > previous bar value) | ||
| ▼ BEARISH | Fast EMA (21) < Slow EMA (50) | Current price < Trend EMA (200) | Fast EMA is falling (current value < previous bar value) | ||
| ◆ NEUTRAL | Any other combination — crossover in progress, price between EMAs, or fast EMA flat | ||||
4️⃣ All Input Parameters Explained
🔷 EMA Periods
| Input | Default | What It Does | Effect If You Change It |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpFastEMA | 21 | The fast EMA period used in the crossover comparison. Reacts quickly to recent price movement. | ⬇️ Lower (e.g. 9, 13) = more sensitive, faster bias changes — more noise in ranging markets. ⬆️ Higher (e.g. 34) = slower, more confirmed bias shifts. |
| InpSlowEMA | 50 | The slow EMA period. The fast EMA must cross above/below this to influence bias. | ⬆️ Higher (e.g. 100, 200) = stronger trend confirmation required. Standard institutional values: 20, 50, 100. |
| InpTrendEMA | 200 | The long-term trend EMA. Price must be on the correct side of this for a BULL or BEAR reading. | The 200 EMA is the most-watched level by institutional participants globally. Changing this is not recommended unless you have a specific reason (e.g. 100 for cryptocurrencies). |
🔷 Timeframe Toggles
| Input | Default | What It Does | When to Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| InpShowM5 | true | Include M5 in the dashboard. | Disable for swing traders who don't reference M5 — reduces dashboard height and noise. |
| InpShowM15 | true | Include M15 in the dashboard. | Disable if you only trade H1 and above. |
| InpShowM30 | true | Include M30 in the dashboard. | Keep enabled for most day trading styles. |
| InpShowH1 | true | Include H1 in the dashboard. | Keep enabled — H1 is the most widely-used reference timeframe. |
| InpShowH4 | true | Include H4 in the dashboard. | Keep enabled — H4 shows the dominant institutional bias for the trading week. |
🔷 Dashboard Position
| Input | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| InpPanelX | 15 | Horizontal offset in pixels from the selected corner. |
| InpPanelY | 30 | Vertical offset in pixels from the selected corner. |
| InpCorner | UPPER LEFT | Which corner the dashboard anchors to. Options: UPPER_LEFT, UPPER_RIGHT, LOWER_LEFT, LOWER_RIGHT. |
5️⃣ Reading the Dashboard — Examples
Example 1 — Full Bull Alignment (Best Long Condition)
M15 BULLISH ▲
M30 BULLISH ▲
H1 BULLISH ▲
H4 BULLISH ▲
OVERALL: ▲ BULLISH
All five timeframes agree. This is the strongest possible bullish confirmation. Any long signal from your SMC entry indicators (Order Block or Liquidity Grab) during this state should be treated as high-conviction.
Example 2 — Mixed Alignment (Wait for Clarity)
M15 NEUTRAL ◆
M30 NEUTRAL ◆
H1 BEARISH ▼
H4 BEARISH ▼
OVERALL: ◆ NEUTRAL
Short-term bias contradicts the higher timeframes. This typically happens during a counter-trend pullback or a period of indecision. Do not take new trades — wait for the M5/M15 to align with H1/H4, or wait for H1/H4 to shift direction.
Example 3 — Transitioning Bias (Early Trend Change Signal)
M15 BULLISH ▲
M30 BULLISH ▲
H1 NEUTRAL ◆
H4 BEARISH ▼
OVERALL: ◆ NEUTRAL
Lower timeframes have turned bullish but H4 is still bearish. This often signals an early-stage trend change — the lower TFs lead the way. Watch for H1 to confirm bullish before entering long. If H4 turns bullish too, the full-stack alignment confirms a new trend.
6️⃣ How to Use It with Other SMC Indicators
| Dashboard Reading | Action with SMC OrderBlock Engine | Action with Liquidity Grab Engine | Action with Session Breakout |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▲ BULLISH (H1 + H4 both green) | Take ALL bullish OB signals. Skip bearish OB signals even if they appear. | Take ALL bullish sweep entries. Ignore bearish sweep arrows. | Focus on Asian low sweeps only. Expect price to drive up after MSS. |
| ▼ BEARISH (H1 + H4 both bearish) | Take ALL bearish OB signals. Skip bullish OB signals. | Take ALL bearish sweep entries. Ignore bullish sweep arrows. | Focus on Asian high sweeps only. Expect price to drive down after MSS. |
| ◆ NEUTRAL (mixed) | Wait. Do not enter any new positions — market is in indecision. | Wait. Sweeps in neutral conditions have lower follow-through probability. | Wait for session sweep + MSS to break the stalemate and create a new directional move. |
7️⃣ Common Mistakes
| ❌ Mistake | ✅ Fix |
|---|---|
| Using the Heatmap as a standalone entry signal — e.g. buying just because M5 turns bullish | The Heatmap is a context/filter tool only. It tells you which direction to favour. All actual entries must come from the SMC entry indicators (Order Block, Liquidity Grab, Session Breakout). |
| Ignoring the dashboard when it shows NEUTRAL and taking entries anyway | NEUTRAL means the EMA stack is in conflict. These are the conditions with the lowest probability of clean directional moves. Patience here saves many losing trades. |
| Changing EMA periods constantly trying to get a "perfect" reading | The default 21/50/200 periods are standard institutional values used by millions of traders. Changing them too aggressively removes the universality that makes EMA levels meaningful as self-fulfilling support/resistance. |
| Disabling H4 row and only watching M5–H1 | H4 is the most important row for intraday traders. It represents the "big picture" weekly bias. Always keep H4 enabled. |
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Smc Trend Heatmap · MetaTrader 5 · Multi-Timeframe · EMA Dashboard · Trend Bias · Smart Money Concepts · Free MQL5 Indicator
