Volatility Radar

Volatility Radar
A comprehensive VIX-based dashboard for volatility regime analysis and trade bias confirmation. Designed for options traders who use VIX levels to inform directional bias and identify potential traps in market positioning.

Dashboard Columns
1. 10-Min Rule
Displays your current directional bias based on VIX zone positioning with time-based confirmation.
CALLS (Green): VIX is below the Bullish Chop level — conditions favor call buying / bullish stock positioning
PUTS (Red): VIX is above the Bearish Chop level — conditions favor put buying / bearish stock positioning
CHOP (Yellow): VIX is between the two chop levels — no clear directional edge

Confirmation Logic: The bias must hold for a configurable period (default: 10 minutes) before showing "✓ CONFIRMED". A countdown timer shows time remaining until confirmation. High-velocity moves (spikes or crushes) trigger immediate confirmation. If VIX touches a chop boundary, the timer resets.

2. VIX Levels
Displays four user-configurable VIX thresholds that define the volatility regime zones:

Bearish (Red): Extreme fear — VIX at or above this level signals high volatility / bearish stock conditions
Resist (Orange): Upper chop boundary — resistance level for VIX
Support (Yellow): Lower chop boundary — support level for VIX
Bullish (Green): Low fear — VIX at or below this level signals low volatility / bullish stock conditions

The current zone is highlighted based on where VIX is trading relative to these levels.

3. Options Flow
Displays net options flow sentiment to gauge market positioning. Supports both simulated and real-time OPRA data.

Simulated Mode (Default):
Net Val: Shows simulated flow based on candle direction (bullish candle = positive, bearish = negative) multiplied by volume
Sentiment: BULLISH, BEARISH, or NEUTRAL based on flow direction
- Header displays "Options Flow (Sim)"

Real-Time OPRA Mode:
Vol: Shows actual call and put volumes summed across strikes near ATM (e.g., "C:12.5K P:8.2K")
Sentiment: BULLISH if call volume > put volume, BEARISH if puts dominate
- Header displays "Options Flow 📡"
- Net flow calculated as: `Total Call Volume - Total Put Volume`

⚠️ OPRA Data Requirement
Real-time mode requires an active OPRA data subscription in TradingView. Without this subscription, the options volume data will not populate. Enable "Use Real-Time OPRA Data" in settings and configure the required parameters (see Settings section below).

4. Velocity
Monitors the speed of VIX movement to detect rapid regime changes.

STABLE (Gray): Normal VIX movement
⚡ SPIKE (Red): VIX increased by more than the velocity threshold (default: 0.40 points) over the last 5 bars — rapid fear increase
⚡ CRUSH (Green): VIX decreased by more than the velocity threshold over the last 5 bars — rapid fear decrease

Calculation: `VIX - VIX[5]` (current VIX minus VIX from 5 bars ago)

5. Trap Detect
Identifies potential positioning traps by comparing VIX regime with options flow direction.

CLEAN (Gray): No divergence detected — flow aligns with VIX regime
⚠️ TRAP (Orange): High VIX + Bullish Flow — warns of potential bull trap; smart money may be selling into retail call buying during elevated fear
🛡️ ABSORB (Yellow): Low VIX + Bearish Flow — institutional absorption pattern; put buying during low VIX may indicate smart money hedging or accumulation


Horizontal Level Lines
Four horizontal lines are automatically drawn on the chart at your configured VIX levels:
1. Green line: Bullish level
2. Yellow line: Bullish Chop (Support) level
3. Orange line: Bearish Chop (Resist) level
4. Red line: Bearish level

Settings
Display Settings
Table Position: Choose where the dashboard appears on your chart
Text Size: Tiny, Small, or Normal
Table Background / Transparency: Customize dashboard appearance

10-Minute Rule
Confirmation Minutes: Time required in a zone before bias is confirmed (default: 10)
Velocity Threshold: Points per 5-bar period to trigger spike/crush detection (default: 0.40)

VIX Levels
Bullish (Green): Low volatility threshold (default: 14)
Bullish Chop (Yellow): Lower chop boundary (default: 16)
Bearish Chop (Orange): Upper chop boundary (default: 20)
Bearish (Red): High volatility threshold (default: 25)

Options Flow Data
Use Real-Time OPRA Data: Toggle between simulated and real-time options data (default: off)
Ticker Override: Manual ticker symbol. Leave blank to auto-detect from chart. Examples: SPY, QQQ, SPXW, NDX. Note: SPX auto-converts to SPXW for options symbols.
Center/Anchor Price: Required for OPRA mode. Enter the current underlying price (e.g., 590 for SPY, 5900 for SPX). This determines the ATM strike for data fetching.
Expiry Date (YYMMDD): Options expiration date in YYMMDD format (e.g., 260117 for Jan 17, 2026). Leave blank to use today's date (0DTE).
Strikes Above/Below ATM: Number of strikes to scan on each side of center price (1-10, default: 5). Higher values capture more flow data but use more API calls.

Strike Step Auto-Detection:
- SPX/SPXW, NDX: $5 strikes
- VIX: $0.50 strikes
- SPY, QQQ, and others: $1 strikes

What's New in This Release
1. Real-Time OPRA Options Flow: New toggle to switch between simulated and real-time options data. When enabled with an OPRA subscription, fetches actual call/put volumes across up to 11 strikes around ATM.
2. Configurable Options Parameters: New settings for ticker override, center price, expiry date, and strike range for precise options data targeting.
3. Horizontal Level Lines: VIX threshold levels are now drawn directly on the chart as colored horizontal lines for quick visual reference
4. Reordered Settings: VIX level inputs now flow logically from Bullish to Bearish


Best Practices
1. Use on VIX chart: Apply this indicator directly to a VIX chart (CBOE:VIX) for best results
2. Wait for confirmation: Don't act on bias until the 10-minute rule confirms
3. Respect velocity signals: Spikes and crushes can indicate regime changes before price confirms
4. Watch for traps: Divergence between flow and VIX regime often precedes reversals
5. Customize your levels: Adjust VIX thresholds based on current market conditions and your trading style
6. OPRA Setup: If using real-time options data, ensure you:
- Have an active OPRA subscription in TradingView
- Set the correct Center/Anchor Price for the underlying you're tracking
- Update the expiry date if trading non-0DTE options
- Match the ticker to your target (SPY for SPY options, leave blank on VIX chart for VIX options)

Disclaimer
This indicator is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial advice. Options flow data is simulated by default; real-time OPRA data requires a separate TradingView subscription. Always do your own research and manage risk appropriately.