How to use ZigZag custom indicator in an EA

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I have been using the following line: double ThisZigZag = iCustom(NULL,0,"ZigZag",12,5,3,3,0); in order to try to work out whether or not the indicator is going up or down but it just returns 0.0 (zero) all the time. I have spent all day trying to get some help and would welcome any suggestions.
 

is the zigzag indicator located in the right place ?

try:

iCustom(NULL,0,"ZigZag",12,5,3,0,0);
  
 iCustom(NULL,0,"ZigZag",12,5,3,3,0);
Does the zig-zag indicator have a buffer number 3?
 
See Topic https://www.mql5.com/en/forum/144092 some examples how you can use code to find lows and highs
 
Sneck55:
I have been using the following line: double ThisZigZag = iCustom(NULL,0,"ZigZag",12,5,3,3,0); in order to try to work out whether or not the indicator is going up or down but it just returns 0.0 (zero) all the time. I have spent all day trying to get some help and would welcome any suggestions.

I don't even know if this is right, but I just get the buffer values for each bar of zigzag. zz always returns 0 unless there is a change in direction.

In this example, there was a change in zz at bar 3. And the way I read the buffers is that buffer 0 indicates there IS a change in direction - if non-zero

Buffers 1 and 2 indicate the direction; in this case at bar 3 the direction is up, and at bar 10, down...

And, from there you can get the price, time etc base on the bar no.

string txt;
string sym=_Symbol;
int period=_Period;
for(int i=0;i<12;i++){
  txt=StringConcatenate(txt,"\nBar ",i," ");
 for(int j=0;j<=2;j++)
  txt=StringConcatenate(txt,iCustom(sym,period,"zigzag",12,5,3,j,i)," ");
}
Comment(txt);
/*

Bar 0 0 0 0 
Bar 1 0 0 0 
Bar 2 0 0 0 
Bar 3 1.53236 0 1.53236 
Bar 4 0 0 0 
Bar 5 0 0 0 
Bar 6 0 0 0 
Bar 7 0 0 0 
Bar 8 0 0 0 
Bar 9 0 0 0 
Bar 10 1.53755 1.53755 0 
Bar 11
*/
 
andrew:

I don't even know if this is right, but I just get the buffer values for each bar of zigzag. zz always returns 0 unless there is a change in direction.

In this example, there was a change in zz at bar 3. And the way I read the buffers is that buffer 0 indicates there IS a change in direction - if non-zero

Buffers 1 and 2 indicate the direction; in this case at bar 3 the direction is up, and at bar 10, down...

And, from there you can get the price, time etc base on the bar no.

please how if i want to get value from bar 3 ? thanks a lot
 
andrew:

I don't even know if this is right, but I just get the buffer values for each bar of zigzag. zz always returns 0 unless there is a change in direction.

In this example, there was a change in zz at bar 3. And the way I read the buffers is that buffer 0 indicates there IS a change in direction - if non-zero

Buffers 1 and 2 indicate the direction; in this case at bar 3 the direction is up, and at bar 10, down...

And, from there you can get the price, time etc base on the bar no.

It's right - you just need to exclude the zero values, as SetIndexBuffer stores value for each bar. Try this:

string txt;
double zHigh, zLow;
int count = 0;
for(int i = 0; i < Bars; i++){
   zHigh = iCustom(NULL, 0, "ZigZag", 12, 5, 3, 1, i);
   zLow = iCustom(NULL, 0, "ZigZag", 12, 5, 3, 2, i);
   if(zHigh > 0 || zLow > 0){
      txt = StringConcatenate(txt, "\n\n\nBar ", i, " ");
      for(int j = 0; j <= 2; j++)txt = StringConcatenate(txt, iCustom(NULL, 0, "ZigZag", 12, 5, 3, j, i), " ");
      count++;
      if(count >= 12)break;
   }
}
Comment(txt);
 
partha #: It's right - you just need to exclude the zero values, as SetIndexBuffer stores value for each bar. Try this: 
   zHigh = iCustom(NULL, 0, "ZigZag", 12, 5, 3, 1, i);
   zLow = iCustom(NULL, 0, "ZigZag", 12, 5, 3, 2, i);

ZZ only has one buffer. Your code tries to read nonexistent ones.

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