How to use
- Copy the installation command and review the source package before installing it in your own agent environment.
- Check the source document for required tools, credentials and supported hosts.
- Describe your input and desired deliverable; review the output against the source material.
npx skills add https://github.com/agiprolabs/claude-trading-skills --skill trading-visualizationBefore you start
- Installation does not include a model subscription, API allowance or permission to access your files.
- Repository stars and installation counts describe activity, not an independent quality or security test.
Original skill document
Rendered from the source repository. Headings, examples, code, tables, links, and referenced images are preserved.
Trading Visualization
Visualization is the primary interface between a trader and their data. Charts reveal patterns that tables and numbers cannot: breakdowns in strategy, regime transitions, clustering of losses, and the shape of risk. A well-designed chart communicates more in a glance than a page of statistics.
Three uses of trading charts:
- Pattern recognition — Spot structural changes in price, volume, and momentum that quantitative filters miss.
- Strategy evaluation — Equity curves, drawdown plots, and return distributions expose whether a strategy is robust or curve-fit.
- Reporting — Communicate performance to stakeholders, journals, or your future self with publication-quality visuals.
Chart Types Covered
| Chart Type | Purpose | Library |
|---|---|---|
| Candlestick | OHLCV price action with overlays | mplfinance |
| Equity curve | Portfolio value over time | matplotlib |
| Drawdown | Underwater equity plot | matplotlib |
| Return distribution | Histogram + normal fit | matplotlib |
| Correlation heatmap | Cross-asset correlation matrix | matplotlib / seaborn |
| Trade markers | Entry/exit points on price chart | mplfinance / matplotlib |
| Indicator panels | RSI, MACD below price chart | mplfinance |
| Position timeline | When positions were held | matplotlib |
Libraries
mplfinance
Best for candlestick charts. Built on matplotlib with finance-specific defaults.
bash
uv pip install mplfinancepython
import mplfinance as mpf
# Basic candlestick from a DataFrame with DatetimeIndex
# Columns: Open, High, Low, Close, Volume
mpf.plot(df, type="candle", volume=True, style="charles")Key features:
- Native OHLCV support — pass a DataFrame directly
- Built-in volume bars
addplotfor overlays (moving averages, Bollinger Bands)- Custom styles via
mpf.make_mpf_style()
matplotlib
General purpose, most flexible. Use when you need full control over layout.
bash
uv pip install matplotlibpython
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
fig, axes = plt.subplots(2, 1, figsize=(14, 8), height_ratios=[3, 1],
sharex=True)
axes[0].plot(dates, equity, color="#00ff88")
axes[1].fill_between(dates, drawdown, 0, color="#ff4444", alpha=0.5)plotly
Interactive charts rendered as HTML. Best for exploration and dashboards.
bash
uv pip install plotlypython
import plotly.graph_objects as go
fig = go.Figure(data=[go.Candlestick(
x=df.index, open=df["Open"], high=df["High"],
low=df["Low"], close=df["Close"]
)])
fig.update_layout(template="plotly_dark")
fig.write_html("chart.html")Styling: Dark Theme Default
Trading terminals use dark backgrounds by default. All charts in this skill follow that convention.
Quick dark theme setup
python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.style.use("dark_background")
plt.rcParams.update({
"figure.facecolor": "#1a1a2e",
"axes.facecolor": "#1a1a2e",
"axes.edgecolor": "#333333",
"grid.color": "#333333",
"grid.alpha": 0.4,
"text.color": "#e0e0e0",
"xtick.color": "#aaaaaa",
"ytick.color": "#aaaaaa",
})Trading color scheme
| Element | Color | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| Bullish / profit | Green | #00ff88 |
| Bearish / loss | Red | #ff4444 |
| Neutral / info | Blue | #4488ff |
| Warning | Amber | #ffaa00 |
| MA short | Orange | #ff6600 |
| MA long | Blue | #3399ff |
| MA signal | Yellow | #ffcc00 |
See references/styling_guide.md for complete typography, layout ratios, and export settings.
Chart Composition: Multi-Panel Layout
Most trading charts need multiple synchronized panels — price on top, volume in the middle, indicators at the bottom.
Stacked panels with shared x-axis
python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(14, 10))
gs = gridspec.GridSpec(3, 1, height_ratios=[3, 1, 1], hspace=0.05)
ax_price = fig.add_subplot(gs[0])
ax_volume = fig.add_subplot(gs[1], sharex=ax_price)
ax_rsi = fig.add_subplot(gs[2], sharex=ax_price)
# Hide x-tick labels on upper panels
ax_price.tick_params(labelbottom=False)
ax_volume.tick_params(labelbottom=False)Panel height ratios
| Layout | Ratios | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Price + Volume | [3, 1] | Simple OHLCV chart |
| Price + Volume + Indicator | [3, 1, 1] | Standard analysis view |
| Equity + Drawdown | [2, 1] | Performance review |
| Price + RSI + MACD | [3, 1, 1] | Full indicator stack |
Candlestick Charts with Overlays
python
import mplfinance as mpf
import pandas as pd
# df: DataFrame with DatetimeIndex, columns Open/High/Low/Close/Volume
ema20 = df["Close"].ewm(span=20).mean()
ema50 = df["Close"].ewm(span=50).mean()
ap = [
mpf.make_addplot(ema20, color="#ff6600", width=1.2),
mpf.make_addplot(ema50, color="#3399ff", width=1.2),
]
style = mpf.make_mpf_style(
base_mpf_style="nightclouds",
marketcolors=mpf.make_marketcolors(
up="#00ff88", down="#ff4444",
wick={"up": "#00ff88", "down": "#ff4444"},
edge={"up": "#00ff88", "down": "#ff4444"},
volume={"up": "#00ff88", "down": "#ff4444"},
),
facecolor="#1a1a2e", figcolor="#1a1a2e",
gridcolor="#333333", gridstyle="--",
)
mpf.plot(df, type="candle", style=style, addplot=ap,
volume=True, figsize=(14, 8),
title="Token / SOL — 15m", savefig="candles.png")Equity Curve with Drawdown Panel
python
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
def plot_equity_drawdown(equity: pd.Series, title: str = "Portfolio") -> plt.Figure:
"""Plot equity curve with drawdown panel below."""
peak = equity.cummax()
drawdown = (equity - peak) / peak
fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(2, 1, figsize=(14, 8),
height_ratios=[2, 1], sharex=True)
ax1.plot(equity.index, equity, color="#00ff88", linewidth=1.5)
ax1.plot(equity.index, peak, color="#555555", linewidth=0.8,
linestyle="--", label="Peak")
ax1.set_title(title, fontsize=14, fontweight="bold", color="white")
ax1.set_ylabel("Portfolio Value", fontsize=11)
ax1.legend(loc="upper left")
ax1.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
ax2.fill_between(equity.index, drawdown, 0, color="#ff4444", alpha=0.5)
ax2.set_ylabel("Drawdown", fontsize=11)
ax2.set_xlabel("Date", fontsize=11)
ax2.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
fig.tight_layout()
return figReturn Distribution
python
from scipy import stats
def plot_return_distribution(returns: pd.Series) -> plt.Figure:
"""Histogram of returns with normal fit and risk metrics."""
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(10, 6))
ax.hist(returns, bins=50, density=True, alpha=0.7,
color="#4488ff", edgecolor="#333333")
# Normal fit overlay
mu, sigma = returns.mean(), returns.std()
x = np.linspace(returns.min(), returns.max(), 200)
ax.plot(x, stats.norm.pdf(x, mu, sigma), color="#ffaa00",
linewidth=2, label=f"Normal(μ={mu:.4f}, σ={sigma:.4f})")
# VaR line
var_95 = returns.quantile(0.05)
ax.axvline(var_95, color="#ff4444", linestyle="--",
label=f"VaR 95%: {var_95:.4f}")
ax.set_title("Return Distribution", fontsize=14, fontweight="bold")
ax.set_xlabel("Return", fontsize=11)
ax.legend()
ax.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
fig.tight_layout()
return figCorrelation Heatmap
python
def plot_correlation_heatmap(returns_df: pd.DataFrame) -> plt.Figure:
"""Correlation matrix heatmap with annotations."""
corr = returns_df.corr()
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(10, 8))
im = ax.imshow(corr, cmap="RdYlGn", vmin=-1, vmax=1, aspect="auto")
ax.set_xticks(range(len(corr.columns)))
ax.set_yticks(range(len(corr.columns)))
ax.set_xticklabels(corr.columns, rotation=45, ha="right")
ax.set_yticklabels(corr.columns)
for i in range(len(corr)):
for j in range(len(corr)):
ax.text(j, i, f"{corr.iloc[i, j]:.2f}",
ha="center", va="center", fontsize=9,
color="black" if abs(corr.iloc[i, j]) < 0.5 else "white")
fig.colorbar(im, ax=ax, shrink=0.8)
ax.set_title("Correlation Matrix", fontsize=14, fontweight="bold")
fig.tight_layout()
return figTrade Markers on Price Chart
python
def plot_trades_on_price(
price: pd.Series,
entries: pd.DataFrame, # columns: date, price, side
exits: pd.DataFrame, # columns: date, price, pnl
) -> plt.Figure:
"""Price chart with entry/exit markers."""
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(14, 7))
ax.plot(price.index, price, color="#aaaaaa", linewidth=1)
# Entry markers
buy_mask = entries["side"] == "long"
ax.scatter(entries.loc[buy_mask, "date"], entries.loc[buy_mask, "price"],
marker="^", color="#00ff88", s=100, zorder=5, label="Buy")
ax.scatter(entries.loc[~buy_mask, "date"], entries.loc[~buy_mask, "price"],
marker="v", color="#ff4444", s=100, zorder=5, label="Short")
# Exit markers
win_mask = exits["pnl"] > 0
ax.scatter(exits.loc[win_mask, "date"], exits.loc[win_mask, "price"],
marker="x", color="#00ff88", s=80, zorder=5)
ax.scatter(exits.loc[~win_mask, "date"], exits.loc[~win_mask, "price"],
marker="x", color="#ff4444", s=80, zorder=5)
ax.set_title("Trades on Price", fontsize=14, fontweight="bold")
ax.legend()
ax.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
fig.tight_layout()
return figOutput Formats
| Format | Method | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | fig.savefig("chart.png", dpi=150) | Sharing, embedding |
| SVG | fig.savefig("chart.svg") | Editing, scaling |
| HTML | fig.write_html("chart.html") (plotly) | Interactive exploration |
| Inline | plt.show() | Jupyter notebooks |
Saving with dark background
python
fig.savefig("chart.png", dpi=150, facecolor=fig.get_facecolor(),
edgecolor="none", bbox_inches="tight")Integration with Other Skills
| Skill | Integration |
|---|---|
pandas-ta | Compute indicators, pass to addplot overlays |
vectorbt | Extract equity curve and trade list for visualization |
portfolio-analytics | Plot Sharpe, drawdown, and return metrics |
risk-management | Visualize position limits and exposure over time |
position-sizing | Chart position size vs account equity over time |
regime-detection | Color background by detected market regime |
correlation-analysis | Generate correlation heatmaps from return data |
Files
References
references/chart_recipes.md— Complete code recipes for six common chart typesreferences/styling_guide.md— Dark theme setup, colors, typography, layout, and export settings
Scripts
scripts/chart_generator.py— Generate four chart types from synthetic data (candlestick, equity, returns, trades)scripts/performance_report.py— Multi-chart performance report with summary statistics
