Darwin Quick Start Guide
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Darwin Online Trading software is Directa's real-time platform for "one click" Trading. It provides high-performance online Trading environment, with real-time prices, news, charts and portfolio's monitor.
You can launch Darwin immediately after logging into Directa's secure website www.directatrading.com
If you are not currently a customer, you can still subscribe to Darwin's trial version on www.directa.com
At the first login, you will access a default workspace, which will show you Darwin's potentials. You can modify the layout of this workspace or you may create new ones, as you prefer.
When you quit the platform, Darwin will ask you to save your workspaces so as to find them "as they were" at your next login. You can export/import workspaces to and from other PCs.
You can also access the Workspaces' "Online Gallery" to try out a set of Workspaces shared by Directa customers.
On the left side of Darwin workspace there are some drawers. From these you can select financial instruments from your lists, open new tiles by using drag & drop or change the workspace in use.
Through the Main Bar you can do everything you need in Darwin. Keep in mind that the Main Bar, as with every Darwin component (namely a tile) can be freely moved around your workspace.
The Utilities submenu from the Main Menu allows to set your personal preferences in Darwin.
Darwin is also an open system, as it allows connections with third parties software (such as Multicharts) and plugins via its API protocol.
How to use the Main Bar
Starting from the Main Bar, you can fully-manage Darwin. The Main Bar can be located anywhere on your workspace.
You can minimize it just by clicking on Directa Logo on the left side
and resume it by clicking it again.
The Main Menu will appear when you right-click either on the Main Bar or anywhere on Darwin's background.
The Main Menu will let you manage the whole platform, its tools, and all the customization. From the Main Menu you can:
See your account balance, your daily performance and access all trading information
Open new tiles on your workspace
Hide the background (in such way every single tile will become a single indipendent module on your desktop)
Access the Utilities submenu (to set your preferences in Darwin)
Switch workspaces
Access Help (where videos and how to are also available)
Quit the platform
How to Manage Workspaces
At first login, you will have access to a default workspace, which will show you around in Darwin potentials. You can either use this Workspace or modify it in a way that suits your needs or even yoou may create new ones.
You can close any Tile you don't need and/or open new ones.
To open a new Tile, drag & drop the ticker code of the Security in an empty area on your workspace.
Alternatively, choose "Open Tile..." in the Main Menu, available when you right click on the Darwin background or on the Main Bar. In this case you have to fill in the ticker of the Security in the appropriate field.
You can also open a new tile starting from an existing one, that refers to the same financial instrument, by right clicking on it to select "open a new one near this".
When you have opened all the tiles you need, you can move, reduce or enlarge them to fit the screen of your workspace. If you drag a tile close to another one they will snap together becoming attached, so that you can move them all as a single module. Remember that you can always save remotely your workspace to find it again "as it was" on your next login from any PC. If you forget to save your workspaces before you close Darwin, it will ask if you wish to do so.
You can export/import workspaces to/from other PCs.
You can also access the Workspaces' "online gallery" to try out a set of Workspaces shared by Directa customers.
How to Send an Order
Directa provides real-time connections to several markets and through Darwin you can either trade the securities available on the major exchanges, or the currencies through the LMAX Exchange to access Forex Online Trading market.
To send and manage your orders, Directa provides several Online Trading tools such as:
Flashbook
Flashboard
Multibook
Booklet
Web Trading Interface
By Using the Flashbook (Directa's Vertical Order Book) enter the exact quantity of the security you wish to trade in the appropriate field. Then click on the left column if you want to buy (at the choosen price level) or on the central one if you want to sell. The order will go immediately into the market and you will get the order execution in milliseconds (for the "at the market" orders).
You can cancel a pending order, just by clicking on it in the right-hand column. see the figure
You can also modify an order on the fly by simply dragging and dropping your order to the new desired price level on the right hand column.
By Using the Flashboard enter the quantity of the security you wish to trade in the appropriate field. Then click on the + or - buttons to buy or sell.
You can cancel a pending order just by clicking the corresponding trash icon.
By using the Multibook double click on it, to make the order entry mask appear. Then fill the boxes with the quantity and limit-price at which you want to trade, then just click the Buy or Sell button to send your order immediately to the market.
By using the Booklet, enter the quantity of the security you wish to trade in the appropriate field, then you can easily buy or sell just by clicking on the green or the red buttons respectively. The limit-price at which you buy or sell will be the exact price that you see on the button when you click on it.
By Using the Web Trading Interface's Order Entry Form, enter the exact quantity of the security you wish to trade, and then the limit-price of your order in the appropriate fields. Then click on the appropriate button (Buy or Sell) to send your order to the market.