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An Optimization Graph window appears when you select Show Optimization Graph from the Results Menu or press the .png) button on the Tool Bar.
It graphs the values of one Results column across every test in the Results window. The tabs across the top of the window (or the Left and Right arrow keys) switch which column is being graphed.
Five graph types are available. Select one from the ResGraph menu, from the Options dialog, or directly by pressing its shortcut key:
Bar Chart (B) - one bar per test, labeled with the parameter values that produced it
Heat Map (H) - a grid of cells for two parameters at once, colored by value
3D Surface (3) - the heat map grid drawn as a rotatable three-dimensional surface
Equity Curves (E) - the combined equity curve of every test, overlaid on one date axis
Drawdown Curves (D) - the combined drawdown curve of every test, overlaid on one date axis
Bar Chart
Each bar is one test, with the value of every varied parameter shown beneath it. Hover over a bar to see its exact parameter values and result. Sort Columns (S) orders the bars by value rather than by parameter, which makes the range of outcomes easier to judge. Linear Regression Line (L) overlays a trend line.
Heat Map
When two or more parameters were varied, the heat map shows one parameter per axis with each cell colored according to the value scale on the right. Choose which parameters to map using the X-Axis and Y-Axis submenus of the ResGraph menu, or the Options dialog. Hover over any cell for its exact values.
3D Surface
The same grid as the heat map, drawn as a surface. Drag with the mouse to rotate it freely, or press the , and . keys to rotate in 15-degree steps. The viewing angle is remembered between sessions. A robust parameter neighborhood appears as a broad plateau; a lone spike suggests an over-fit combination.
Equity and Drawdown Curves
Equity Curves draws the combined equity of every test in the list (the S.TWEQ daily series) as its own line on a merged date axis - a direct view of how sensitive the strategy's outcome is to parameter choice. Log Scale (G) switches the equity axis to logarithmic. Percentile Band (P) shades the 25th-75th percentile range and draws the median path in magenta, as shown above.
Drawdown Curves is the same view of each test's combined drawdown (S.DDPct).
Hovering over either curve graph highlights the nearest curve and shows its test number, parameter values and final value; clicking selects that test's row in the Results window, so you can pull any interesting line out of the bundle for closer study.
The curve graphs need the per-period stats of each test, so they are not available for results that were saved with Discard Stat Details (OptNoStats). Press ESC to cancel drawing the curves of a very large results list.
Averaging Method
When more than one test shares the same X-axis (and Y-axis) parameter values - for example when a third parameter was also varied, or Test Iterations was greater than one - each bar, cell or surface point aggregates those tests. The Averaging Method option chooses how: Mean (the default), Median, Minimum or Maximum. Hover readouts indicate how many tests went into the value, e.g. "(avg of 5)".
Options and Images
Press O (or choose Options from the ResGraph menu) to open the Optimization Graph Options dialog, which collects all of the above choices - graph type, axis parameters, averaging method, Sorted, Trendline, Log Scale, Percentile Band - plus a Dark Background option. All settings persist between sessions.
Ctrl+C copies the current graph to the clipboard as an image, and Save Image as PNG File on the ResGraph menu saves it to disk.
If you haven't already done so, please go through Tutorial 2 for a worked optimization example.
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