Using TradeStation with Collective2 (Basic Version)

First, make sure you are in the right place and that you understand what this technology does.

Basic TradeStation-Collective2 Interface: What it is

If you use TradeStation to generate your trades, now you can automatically make TradeStation enter your trades into your Collective2 trading system, with no human involvement.

That means you can develop and backtest your system using the very nice TradeStation platform. You can automatically submit trades to your Collective2 system. You can sell your signals. And, just like any other system on Collective2, your system can be AutoTraded at any broker (not just TradeStation), or your subscribers can subscribe and receive signals without AutoTrading.

Basic TradeStation-Collective2 Interface: What it is not

This technology does not allow you to AutoTrade a Collective2 system at the TradeStation brokerage. If you use TradeStation as your broker, you cannot AutoTrade any Collective2 system using the TradeStation brokerage. We have contacted TradeStation but so far they have not allowed us to do this.

Using TradeStation's Matrix? You need the Advanced version instead.

This page describes the Basic TradeStation - C2 Interface. It can interpret signals generated by TradeStation EasyLanguage programs. If you use TradeStation's Matrix to generate signals, you'll need to use our Advanced Interface.

How to set up the Basic TradeStation/C2 Interface

For most people, you will not need to download or run any "helper application" on your computer. Instead, you will tell TradeStation to send an email to C2 each time a signal is generated, and C2 will capture that attempt to send an email, and turn it into a C2 signal. Note, however, that some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will block attempts to use outside mail servers (which is what C2's signal-capture technology looks like, to the ISP). In these cases, you will need to run a helper application on your computer. More on this later, in the "Troubleshooting" section. For now, try setting up your TradeStation using the simple steps described below.

Parto Uno: Tell TradeStation to communicate with Collective2

Make sure TradeStation knows to generate "Strategy Orders"

You need to tell TradeStation to send an email every time it generates a buy or sell signal. When TradeStation tries to send the email, we'll interpret the contents of it, and translate them into a Collective2 trade signal that will be routed into your Collective2 trading system. To tell TradeStation to send emails, do this:

• Right-click the window containing your EasyLanguage code and select Properties... (Or, alternately, Select Format from the top menu, and then Properties...)
• Make sure Generate strategy orders for display in the Trade Manager's Strategy Orders tab has a check-mark beside it. (Two screenshots are shown below, one for TradeStation 8, and the other for TradeStation 9.)

TradeStation version 8.x

... or ...

TradeStation version 9.x

Enable e-mail notification in TradeStation.

Go to TradeStation. Select "TradeManager" like this:

Select View (from the TradeStation menu bar), then TradeManager Preferences...

You will see this window:

You need to make sure a little envelope icon appears next to the following four lines:

• Strategy Active Order
• Strategy Canceled Order
• Strategy Filled Order
• Strategy Replaced Order

To make the envelope appear, find the Notification Type (for example, "Strategy Active Order"), click it with your mouse to highlight it, then check the box called Enable e-mail notification.

Make sure Enable e-mail notification is checked for the four notification types listed above. (There should be an envelope icon next to each of the four, as shown above.)

Configure communication with Collective2.

Click the button Configure...

You'll see one of the following two windows, depending on the version of TradeStation you run. The most recent TradeStation version looks like the window at the left. Find the window that looks most like your own TradeStation's window.

This is what the Configuration Screen looks like in TradeStation version 9.1, update 12. Notice where the From and To fields are located.		Previous versions of TradeStation had the From and To fields in the opposite places. Make sure you match the From and To fields so that you enter the proper info in each field. Nice work, Tradestation - changing the position of those fields was a brilliant way to improve America's economy by increasing the number of customer-service help-desk jobs required to support your product.

Follow the example in the picture above:

• Where it asks for your From Email address, enter the email address you use when you login to Collective2.
• Where it asks for your To Email addresses, enter information in the following format:
your C2 Data Services Password @ ts.collective2.com

Example: [email protected]


 Huh? What is my C2 Data Services Password?
• Where it asks for your SMTP Server name or IP address, enter ts.collective2.com

Press Test in the lower left of the TradeStation "Messaging" window..

After a minute or two (it may take even longer, depending on your email provider) you will receive a delightful and cheeky email from Collective2 confirming that you have communicated with Collective2. This indicates that your have successfully completed the first part of the set-up process. You still need to name your workspace properly!

Part Deux: How to set up your TradeStation workspace

If you've gotten this far, you have pressed your TradeStation's "Test" button and received an inspirational message from Collective2 telling you that you have successfully configured your communication between TradeStation and C2. You are almost done, but there is still a bit more to do.

Each TradeStation strategy that you want to trade must be placed in a chart in its own TradeStation workspace. This is because the workspace name will be used to tell Collective2 certain important information. As an example, let's imagine you want to trade the June 2010 E-Mini S&P futures contract. The June 2010 contract in TradeStation would have the symbol ESM10, while the Collective2 symbol will be @ESM0. Because the symbols are different, you need to include the Collective2 symbol name in your workspace name.

How to name your workspace

On the File menu in your TradeStation program, select New then Workspace.

Add your chart with the desired strategy and then use the File, Save Workspace As... menu item to name the workspace using the parameters defined below:

At a minimum, the workspace should have within its name the Collective2 system id, the symbol, and the type of instrument the symbol is.

So, then, the format for the Workspace name would then be:

c2=<C2 system ID number>_symbol=<symbol>_type=future (don't include < or >)

Examples:

• c2=1234_symbol=@ESM0_type=future
• c2=1234_s=@ESM0_t=future
• c2=982635_s=AAPL_t=stock
• c2=982635_symbol=OEB1020C540_type=option
• c2=982635_symbol=EURUSD_type=forex

 Huh? How do I find my C2 System ID #?

The examples above show the common parameters you can use in your workspace name. There are some optional ones, as well.

Still having problems, even after following instructions above? Please contact [email protected]. We'll try to walk you through it.