Sierra Chart developing value area setup: how a live value area differs from a completed profile and how to display it

What a developing value area shows, and why it is not a finished profile

A Sierra Chart developing value area setup plots the value area high (VAH), value area low (VAL) and point of control as they stood at each bar, calculated only from the volume traded up to that bar. A completed-session profile shows the final value area after the session closed. The developing version shows what was actually knowable in real time, while the completed one is drawn with hindsight. To display it, you add a study that plots value area levels as lines per bar, match its session and value area settings to your profile, and validate that the last developing values equal the completed profile.

This article is about that distinction and the display itself. If you need to choose the boundaries of a profile first, read how session and fixed range profiles change your POC and value area. The rest assumes a normal daily session profile.

Developing profile vs completed-session profile

A volume profile for a session is a histogram of volume at each price. The value area is the range around the point of control that contains a set percentage of that volume, commonly 70%. The edges of that range are the value area high and value area low.

The difference is timing:

• Completed-session profile: calculated on every bar of the session at once. On a past day, the VAH and VAL you see are the final values. On the current day, the histogram keeps reshaping as new volume arrives, so its value area lines move, but you only ever see the latest state.
• Developing profile: recalculated bar by bar, and the result at each bar is stored and plotted. You end up with a stepped line for VAH, VAL and POC that records every shift through the session.

The practical consequence: if you review an ES session and see price reject the final VAH at 10:00 Eastern, that VAH may not have existed at 10:00. The developing line tells you where the VAH actually was at that moment.

Data and session settings to check first

A value area is only as good as the volume distribution underneath it.

1. Intraday data granularity. The profile assigns volume to prices from your stored intraday data. Storing data at 1 tick gives the most accurate distribution. In Sierra Chart this is set in Global Settings >> Data/Trade Service Settings >> Intraday Data Storage Time Unit. The tick by tick data configuration documentation explains the setting and what happens to data already stored at a coarser unit.
2. Session times. The developing value area resets at the start of each session, so the session definition decides where each calculation begins. Check the session times in the chart settings and decide whether you want regular trading hours only or the full overnight session. The Chart Settings documentation describes the session time options. For ES and NQ, an RTH session and a 24-hour session can produce very different value areas on the same day.
3. Row size. Rows set at one tick (0.25 for ES and NQ, 0.01 for CL) keep the most detail. Grouping several ticks per row smooths the profile and moves VAH and VAL to row boundaries. Whatever you choose, use the same row size for the developing lines and the completed profile, or they will not match.

The volume by price study setup article covers the profile period, row size and display style in detail, so they are not repeated here.

How to display the developing value area

Sierra Chart provides studies that plot value area levels as lines rather than as a histogram. The exact study names and inputs can change between versions, so use the Studies Reference to confirm which study plots value area high, value area low and POC per bar, and read its input list before relying on it. A study commonly used for this is Volume Value Area Lines; confirm in its description that it plots developing values for your version.

A working setup process:

1. Open the chart you want, for example an ES 5-minute chart or a CL 3-minute chart.
2. Open the studies window (Analysis >> Studies in recent versions) and add the value area lines study you identified.
3. Set the profile period to one session (daily), so the lines reset each session.
4. Set the value area percentage to the same value as your volume profile, typically 70.
5. Set the tick size per row to match your Volume by Price study.
6. Give VAH, VAL and POC distinct colors and keep the lines thin. Some traders draw VAH and VAL in the same color and the POC brighter, so value reads as a band with a center.
7. If the study offers a choice between drawing lines continuously and only showing the latest value, choose the per-bar option. That is what makes it a developing display.

Keep the Volume by Price histogram on the same chart if you want both views. The histogram gives the current shape, and the developing lines show how you got there.

Validate the setup against the completed profile

This check catches most configuration mistakes:

1. Scroll to a fully completed past session.
2. Read the last value of the developing VAH, VAL and POC lines on the final bar of that session.
3. Compare them with the value area lines of the completed Volume by Price profile for the same session.

They should be identical. If they differ, check in this order:

• Session start and end times differ between the two studies.
• Value area percentage is not the same.
• Row size or tick grouping is not the same.
• One study includes the overnight session and the other does not.
• Historical data was stored at a coarser time unit than recent data, so older days distribute volume differently.

Once the final values match on several days, the intraday values are being calculated from the same rules, and you can trust them as a record of what was visible live.

Reading developing VAH and VAL across instruments

The developing lines are descriptive, not signals. What they describe is how value migrated.

• Wide early moves, then stability. In the first hour of ES or NQ RTH, the developing VAH and VAL often move a lot because the profile has little volume behind it. Later in the session each new bar adds a smaller share of total volume, so the lines step less often. Early levels deserve less weight for that reason.
• One-sided migration. If the developing VAL keeps stepping up while VAH also rises, value is moving higher through the day. If VAH and VAL spread apart, value is widening rather than moving.
• CL. Crude oil's 0.01 tick creates many rows. At one tick per row the value area edges can jump around on low-volume bars; a slightly larger row size may make the lines easier to read, as long as the completed profile uses the same size.
• EURUSD. Spot forex has no single central exchange, so any volume profile reflects only your data feed's volume. If you want a value area based on centralized volume, the CME Euro FX futures (6E) are an alternative. CME Group's Euro FX contract page lists the contract specifications.

For the meaning of the POC line itself, see what point of control is in volume profile.

Saving time with a prepared workspace

Getting the session times, value area percentage and row size consistent across a histogram, developing lines and a TPO view takes some trial and validation. A Sierra Chart market profile chartbook with TPO, value area, Point of Control and volume profile already configured gives you a starting point that you can then adjust and validate with the check above.

Conclusion

A developing value area records VAH, VAL and POC as they existed at each bar, while a completed profile shows only the final result. Set it up by matching session times, value area percentage and row size to your volume profile, store data at 1 tick, and confirm that the last developing values equal the completed profile on past sessions. If you want a ready-made starting point, SierraOnShop offers Sierra Chart chartbooks with market profile and value area workspaces already configured.

FAQ

Does the developing value area repaint?

No, not on completed bars. Each bar stores the value area calculated with the data available at that bar. Only the current bar's value can change until that bar closes.

Can I show yesterday's final value area alongside today's developing lines?

Yes. Keep a completed session profile or prior-day value area lines for the previous session, and use the developing lines for the current one. Use different colors so the two sets are not confused.

Why are my developing lines flat for the first few bars of the session?

With very little volume, the value area may cover only a few rows, or the study may need a minimum amount of data before plotting. Check the study inputs and confirm the session start time is correct.

Should the developing value area use the same percentage as my TPO profile?

For consistency, yes. If your TPO and volume value areas use different percentages, their edges will not be comparable when you review a session.