NinjaTrader chart templates vs workspaces: what each saves

Choose the save that matches the task

For example, you might want the same indicators on a new chart, the same collection of windows tomorrow, or a named parameter set for one strategy. Saving one does not replace the other two.

Save and load a chart template

On the configured chart, right-click Templates > Save As. On another chart, use Templates > Load, or select the saved template when creating a chart. Choose Templates > Save as Default when you want that configuration to become the default chart template.

The source and target must have the same number of Data Series. A two-series template cannot be applied to a one-series chart. Drawing objects are excluded, so a missing trend line does not by itself mean that loading failed.

Check the session after loading

A selected template takes precedence over settings entered manually in the Data Series window. NinjaTrader specifically notes that a template's Trading Hours can override the session you just selected. This can make a newly configured chart appear to have the wrong hours even though the template loaded correctly.

After loading, open Data Series and check the instrument and futures contract, bar type and interval, Price based on, history range and Trading Hours. Compare those final values with the chart you intended to create. A visually familiar layout can still request a different session or date range.

Save the workspace after arranging the windows

From the Control Center, open Workspaces, hover over the workspace name and select save. Use save as to create a separate workspace file: NinjaTrader switches to the new workspace and leaves the previous file unchanged. This is useful when trying another arrangement without overwriting the saved starting point.

Only one workspace is active and visible at a time, but several can remain open. The filled green rectangle identifies the active one; an outlined rectangle indicates another open workspace. Selecting a different workspace or pressing Shift+F3 changes the displayed workspace. Switching is different from closing it.

NinjaTrader also offers to save changes in open workspaces during shutdown. Save the workspace you actually changed; saving a similarly named workspace can preserve the wrong setup.

Keep strategy parameters separate from enabled state

For a NinjaScript strategy, use the template control at the bottom right of its properties dialog to save or load a named parameter set. NinjaTrader documents two exceptions to saved parameter settings: Account defaults to Sim101 and Enabled defaults to false. Check the account and parameters after loading; the template is not a record of live execution.

An enabled chart strategy that was present when NinjaTrader shut down can still be attached when the application reopens, but it returns with Enabled set to false. Closing the chart containing a strategy disables and removes that strategy. Seeing its chart or indicators again does not prove it resumed.

Before resuming an intended strategy, inspect its current state and account. Restoring a familiar screen and verifying automated execution are separate checks.