01 / Overview
Key Features
Auto BF Detection
Automatically finds Broadening Formation patterns using configurable pivot lengths for both the top and bottom trendlines.
Manual Mode
Override auto detection and manually define the BF by selecting specific swing high/low bar offsets. Includes offset number labels for reference.
HTF Projection
Lock a Broadening Formation detected on a higher timeframe (e.g. Daily) and project it onto any lower chart timeframe with time-accurate placement.
Channel Visualization
Optional parallel channels on both sides of the BF lines. Configurable width, style, color, and fill for the channel bands.
Breach Detection
Detects when price crosses the BF trendlines. Marks crossings with colored X labels. Breached lines can be hidden or tracked by max count.
Hammer & Shooter Patterns
Separate inputs for detecting Hammer and Shooter candlestick patterns with configurable wick percentage thresholds.
Full Color Control
Independent colors for top BF line, bottom BF line, breached lines, breach above/below markers, HTF lines, and channels.
Line Controls
Max line length, max distance from price, extend until breached, and most-recent-only mode for clean chart presentation.
02 / Concept
How It Works
01
Pivot Detection
The indicator scans for swing highs and swing lows using the configured pivot lengths (Top BF Pivot Length and Bottom BF Pivot Length). These are standard TradingView pivot calculations.
02
Trendline Construction
From each pair of adjacent swing highs, a trendline is drawn from the first pivot to the second. The same is done for swing lows on the bottom. A Broadening Formation occurs when each successive swing high is higher AND each successive swing low is lower.
03
Breach Tracking
Every bar the indicator checks whether the cross source (Close or High/Low) crosses either trendline. On a cross, an X marker is placed in the breach color. The trendline can be hidden after breach using Hide Breached Lines.
04
Manual Mode Override
When Manual Mode is ON, auto detection is disabled. You specify which swing high and swing low bar offsets to use for both the upper and lower lines. Show Offset Numbers draws labels on each bar to help identify the correct offsets.
05
HTF Projection
When HTF BF is enabled, the indicator fetches the BF trendlines from the selected higher timeframe and redraws them on the current chart. Lines are time-anchored so they remain in the correct horizontal position regardless of chart timeframe.
→ NoteThe Most Recent Line Only setting prevents clutter when multiple BF lines share pivot points. Enable it to show only the freshest pattern.
03 / Reference
Settings
Broadening Formation
| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top BF Color | Red | Color | Color of the upper (resistance) trendline. |
| Bottom BF Color | Green | Color | Color of the lower (support) trendline. |
| Breached BF Color | Orange | Color | Color trendlines turn after being crossed. |
| Extend Lines Until Breached | OFF | ON / OFF | Lines extend right until price crosses them. |
| Most Recent Line Only | ON | ON / OFF | Shows only the newest BF pattern when multiple share pivot points. |
| Hide Breached Lines | OFF | ON / OFF | Removes lines from the chart after they are crossed. |
| Show Crosses | OFF | ON / OFF | Draws an X marker where price crosses a trendline. |
| Breach Below Color | Red | Color | Color of the X marker when price crosses below. |
| Breach Above Color | Lime | Color | Color of the X marker when price crosses above. |
| Max Breached Lines to Show | 0 | 0–50 | How many breached lines remain visible. 0 = unlimited. |
| Cross Source | Close | Close / High/Low | Whether breach detection uses closing price or the high/low wick. |
| Max Line Length | 252 | Bars | Lines are removed if not crossed within this many bars. |
| Max Distance from Line | 40 | % | Lines are removed if price moves more than this % away. |
| Top BF Pivot Length | 9 | 1+ | Lookback length for swing high detection. |
| Bottom BF Pivot Length | 9 | 1+ | Lookback length for swing low detection. |
Manual Mode
| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Mode ON | OFF | ON / OFF | Disables auto detection. Use swing offsets to define the BF manually. |
| Show Offset Numbers | ON | ON / OFF | Draws bar-index offset labels to help identify the correct swing offsets. |
| Upper BF → SH #1 / #2 | 1 / 3 | 1–20 | Bar offset of the first and second swing highs for the upper line. |
| Lower BF → SL #1 / #2 | 1 / 3 | 1–20 | Bar offset of the first and second swing lows for the lower line. |
| Extend Manual Lines Right | ON | ON / OFF | Extends the manually drawn lines to the right edge of the chart. |
HTF Broadening Formation
| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock HTF BF onto lower TFs | OFF | ON / OFF | Projects a BF from the higher TF onto the current chart. |
| HTF Resolution | D | Any TF | The higher timeframe to detect the BF on. |
| HTF Pivot Length | 9 | 1+ | Pivot lookback for the HTF BF detection. |
| Extend HTF Lines Right | ON | ON / OFF | Extends projected lines to the right. |
| HTF Top/Bottom Color | Red / Green | Color | Line colors for the projected HTF BF. |
| Show HTF Label | ON | ON / OFF | Draws a label showing the source timeframe on the line. |
| Show HTF Channels | OFF | ON / OFF | Applies channel width/style to the HTF BF lines. |
Channels
| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Width (%) | 0.1 | 0+ | Width of the parallel channel as a percentage of price. |
| Show Up Channel | ON | ON / OFF | Shows the channel on the upper BF line. |
| Show Down Channel | ON | ON / OFF | Shows the channel on the lower BF line. |
| Channel Style | dotted | solid / dotted / dashed | Line style of the channel boundaries. |
04 / Best Practices
Pro Tips
Higher Pivot Lengths = Cleaner Patterns
A pivot length of 9 is the default. Increase to 14–21 to find only the most significant Broadening Formations. Lower values produce more patterns but with more noise.
Use HTF Projection on Intraday Charts
Set HTF to Daily and view on a 1H chart. The daily BF projects onto your intraday chart with time-accurate placement. Trade intraday touches of the daily BF lines.
Cross Source: Close vs High/Low
Use Close for confirmation-based breach detection. Use High/Low for an earlier warning when a wick pokes through the line but the candle hasn't fully committed.
Manual Mode for Precision
Auto detection depends on pivot parameters. When you see a clear BF visually but the auto lines are off, switch to Manual Mode and dial in the exact swing pivots you want connected.
Combine with sXMTF Trends
Before trading a BF touch, confirm the MTF Score agrees with your direction. A BF touch with a Neutral or opposing Score is a low-probability setup.
05 / Use Cases
Who Uses This
→ Swing Trader
Daily BF Channel Trades
Set pivot length to 14. Enable HTF projection on Daily. Trade bounces off the BF lines on a 4H chart. Use the channel width to identify whether price is at the inner or outer boundary.
→ Day Trader
Intraday BF Breakouts
Run on a 15m chart with pivot length 5–9. Watch for BF lines forming in the first hour of session. When price breaks and closes above the upper BF line, enter a call. Enable Show Crosses to see historical breach points.
→ sXSuite IntegrationPair sX BF v2 with sX SBox to combine Broadening Formation levels with the swing-range box. BF lines often coincide with SBox targets and become high-confluence reaction zones. Use sXMTF Trends to filter only the BF touches where higher-TF bias confirms.