> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://terminal.incrypto.ru/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# First Steps

> Create your first workspace, connect to market data, and start analyzing.

This guide walks you through the Cluster Terminal interface, from creating
your first workspace to placing indicators and drawing tools on a chart. By
the end, you will have a fully configured analysis setup ready for live
trading research.

## 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                        |

<Tip>
  Every element in the toolbar is contextual to the active pane. If you have
  multiple panes open in a split layout, clicking on a pane focuses it and
  updates the toolbar accordingly.
</Tip>

## 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.

<Steps>
  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm creation">
    Click **Create**. The new workspace opens with a single empty tab,
    ready for you to configure.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  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](/en/workspace/cloud-sync) for details.
</Note>

## 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.

<Note>
  Additional exchange support (such as Bybit) is planned for future releases.
  The exchange selector is designed to accommodate multiple sources as they
  become available.
</Note>

## Choosing a Symbol and Timeframe

<Steps>
  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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    |
  </Step>

  <Step title="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` · `1D`

    Shorter timeframes (1m–5m) provide granular cluster data ideal for
    scalping. Longer timeframes (1h–1D) aggregate volume for swing and
    position analysis.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  A good starting point is **BTCUSDT on the 5-minute timeframe** in Cluster
  mode. This combination gives you enough detail to see individual volume
  levels while keeping the chart readable.
</Tip>

## 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.

<Note>
  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.
</Note>

## 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.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the indicators panel">
    Click the **Indicators** button (chart icon) in the toolbar to open the
    indicator selection panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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     |
  </Step>

  <Step title="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).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure parameters">
    After adding, click the **gear icon** next to the indicator name to open
    its settings. Adjust parameters like period length, colors, line style,
    and visibility. Changes apply immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  For a first setup, try adding **EMA 21** and **EMA 50** as overlays, plus
  **CVD** (Cumulative Volume Delta) as a sub-panel. This gives you trend
  context and order flow divergence detection right away.
</Tip>

## Using Drawing Tools

Drawing tools let you annotate charts with trend lines, horizontal levels,
rectangles, Fibonacci retracements, and more.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the drawing tools panel">
    Click the **Drawing Tools** button (pencil icon) in the toolbar. A panel
    appears listing all available tools.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Adjust and style">
    Click on any existing drawing to select it. Drag the control points to
    reposition. Right-click for options such as color, line width, extend
    to infinity, and delete.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Drawings are saved with your workspace. They persist across sessions and
  are synchronized if Cloud Sync is enabled.
</Note>

## 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.

<Tip>
  Use the **Workspace Dialog** (accessible from the menu or toolbar) to
  rename, duplicate, or delete workspaces. The dialog also shows a cloud
  sync badge indicating whether each workspace is synchronized.
</Tip>

## 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.

<Tip>
  A common multi-pane setup: a cluster chart on 5m in the main pane, with a
  1h candle chart in a smaller side pane for higher-timeframe context, and
  a DOM widget in a narrow column on the right.
</Tip>

## 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                          |

For the complete list of shortcuts and customization options, see
[Hotkeys](/en/advanced/hotkeys).

## 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](/en/chart/candles)** — Learn the details of
  each chart type and when to use them.
* **[Cluster Analysis](/en/chart/clusters)** — Understand how to read
  cluster volume data for trading decisions.
* **[Indicators](/en/indicators/overview)** — Explore the full indicator
  library with configuration guides.
* **[Licensing](/en/getting-started/licensing)** — Activate your license and
  unlock features like Cloud Sync.