Understanding the Interface
Cluster Terminal follows a workspace-based layout. Each workspace contains one or more panes, and each pane displays a chart, indicator panel, or widget. The main areas of the interface are:| Area | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Toolbar | Top of each pane | Symbol selector, timeframe picker, chart type toggle, indicator and drawing menus |
| Tab Bar | Top of the workspace | Switch between open tabs; click + to add a new tab |
| Chart Area | Center | The main rendering surface for candles, clusters, heatmaps, or TPO profiles |
| Status Bar | Bottom of the window | Connection status, server latency, and current data state |
| Panels | Side or overlay | Indicators list, drawing tools panel, DOM widget, settings |
Creating Your First Workspace
A workspace is a named container that saves your entire analysis setup: open charts, selected symbols, timeframes, indicators, drawings, and pane layout. You can create as many workspaces as you need — one for scalping, another for swing analysis, a third for monitoring altcoins.Open the workspace dialog
On first launch (or from the menu), the Workspace Dialog appears.
This shows a list of existing workspaces and a button to create a new one.
Name your workspace
Click Create new workspace. Enter a descriptive name — for example,
“BTC Scalping 5m” or “Altcoin Swing.” The name helps you identify the
workspace later when switching between setups.
Workspaces are saved locally on your device. If your license includes the
Cloud Sync feature, workspaces are also synchronized across your
devices automatically. See Cloud Sync for details.
Selecting an Exchange
Cluster Terminal connects to centralized exchange data through its back-end server. The supported exchanges are Binance Futures (USDT-M perpetual contracts) and Binance Spot, providing the deepest liquidity and the most comprehensive cluster data. When adding a chart or changing symbols, you will see the exchange selector in the toolbar. Select Binance Futures or Binance Spot to access the available trading pairs.Additional exchange support (such as Bybit) is planned for future releases.
The exchange selector is designed to accommodate multiple sources as they
become available.
Choosing a Symbol and Timeframe
Open the symbol selector
Click the symbol name in the toolbar (or the magnifying glass icon)
to open the symbol search panel. You will see a list of available trading
pairs sorted by volume.
Search or browse
Type a symbol name (for example, “BTC” or “ETH”) to filter the list.
Click the desired pair to load it. Common starting choices:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| BTCUSDT | Bitcoin perpetual — highest liquidity, best cluster data |
| ETHUSDT | Ethereum perpetual — second-most liquid |
| SOLUSDT | Solana perpetual — high volatility, active order flow |
Select a timeframe
Use the timeframe selector in the toolbar to choose your analysis
interval. Available timeframes include:
1m · 3m · 5m · 15m · 30m · 1h · 2h · 4h · 6h · 12h · 1DShorter timeframes (1m–5m) provide granular cluster data ideal for
scalping. Longer timeframes (1h–1D) aggregate volume for swing and
position analysis.Understanding Chart Types
Cluster Terminal offers four distinct chart visualization modes. You can switch between them using the chart type toggle in the toolbar.Candles (Candlestick)
The classic OHLCV candlestick chart. Each candle shows the open, high, low, and close prices for the selected timeframe. Volume is displayed as a histogram below the chart. Best for: General market overview, trend identification, support and resistance levels.Clusters (Volume Profile per Candle)
The signature view of Cluster Terminal. Each candle is expanded into a vertical volume profile showing the buy and sell volume at every price level within that candle’s range. Color intensity indicates volume concentration. Best for: Identifying absorption, initiative buying/selling, volume imbalances, and precise entry/exit levels.Heatmap
A continuous color-mapped visualization of volume across time and price. Dense areas appear as bright spots, making it easy to spot high-activity zones at a glance without the discrete candle boundaries. Best for: Visualizing volume density over longer periods, spotting recurring support/resistance zones, and identifying institutional activity patterns.TPO (Time Price Opportunity)
A market profile chart that shows how much time price spent at each level, displayed as stacked letters (TPO blocks). This reveals the value area, point of control, and distribution shape of the session. Best for: Identifying value areas, initial balance, and single prints. Useful for understanding market structure and auction theory.All four chart types share the same underlying data and can be switched
instantly without reloading. Indicators and drawings are preserved when
toggling between modes, though some visual elements may render
differently depending on the chart type.
Adding Your First Indicator
Indicators provide additional analytical layers on top of the raw price and volume data. Cluster Terminal includes a library of classic, order flow, and smart money concept (SMC) indicators.Open the indicators panel
Click the Indicators button (chart icon) in the toolbar to open the
indicator selection panel.
Browse categories
Indicators are organized into categories:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Classic | EMA, SMA, Bollinger Bands, RSI, MACD |
| Order Flow | CVD (Cumulative Volume Delta), OI Delta, Volume Delta |
| Metrics | Funding Rate, Liquidations, Long/Short Ratio |
| Profiles | Volume Profile, VWAP, Session VWAP |
| SMC | Order Blocks, Fair Value Gaps, Break of Structure |
Add an indicator
Click on an indicator name to add it to the active chart. Some indicators
appear as overlays on the price chart (such as EMA or VWAP), while others
render in a separate sub-panel below the chart (such as RSI or CVD).
Using Drawing Tools
Drawing tools let you annotate charts with trend lines, horizontal levels, rectangles, Fibonacci retracements, and more.Open the drawing tools panel
Click the Drawing Tools button (pencil icon) in the toolbar. A panel
appears listing all available tools.
Select a tool
Click the tool you want to use — for example, Trend Line or
Horizontal Ray. Your cursor changes to a crosshair, indicating
that drawing mode is active.
Draw on the chart
Click on the chart to set the starting point, then click again to set
the end point (for two-point tools like trend lines). For single-point
tools like horizontal levels, one click places the drawing.
Drawings are saved with your workspace. They persist across sessions and
are synchronized if Cloud Sync is enabled.
Saving Your Workspace
Cluster Terminal saves workspace state automatically as you work. However, it is good practice to understand what is saved and when:- Auto-save — Changes to layout, indicators, and drawings are saved continuously to local storage.
- Manual save — You can trigger a manual save from the workspace dialog or by using the keyboard shortcut.
- Cloud sync — If enabled, your workspace is uploaded to the server periodically (every 5 minutes) and on application close.
Tabs and Split Layouts
You can open multiple charts within a single workspace using tabs and split panes. This is useful for monitoring several symbols or timeframes at once.Working with Tabs
- Add a tab — Click the + button at the end of the tab bar. Each new tab starts as an empty chart that you can configure independently.
- Switch tabs — Click any tab to bring it to the foreground.
- Close a tab — Click the x icon on a tab to remove it from the workspace. This does not delete any data.
- Reorder tabs — Drag and drop tabs to rearrange them in the tab bar.
Splitting Panes
You can split the chart area horizontally or vertically to view multiple charts side by side within the same tab:- Drag a tab to the edge of the chart area (top, bottom, left, or right) to create a split pane. A blue highlight indicates where the new pane will appear.
- Resize panes by dragging the divider between them.
- Each pane has its own independent toolbar, symbol, timeframe, and indicator configuration.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Cluster Terminal supports keyboard shortcuts for common actions. Here are the essentials to get you started:| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + N | New tab |
Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
Ctrl + S | Save workspace |
Ctrl + Z | Undo last drawing action |
Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo last drawing action |
Escape | Cancel current drawing tool / deselect |
Delete | Remove selected drawing |
| Mouse wheel | Zoom in/out on the time axis |
| Middle-click drag | Pan the chart |
Next Steps
Now that you have a workspace set up with a chart, indicators, and drawings, you are ready to explore the deeper features of Cluster Terminal:- Chart Display Modes — Learn the details of each chart type and when to use them.
- Cluster Analysis — Understand how to read cluster volume data for trading decisions.
- Indicators — Explore the full indicator library with configuration guides.
- Licensing — Activate your license and unlock features like Cloud Sync.