The Preferences screen's "General Program Settings" offer a number of features that affect all UA operations equally. Click the "Advanced 1" tab for selections affecting the number of charts that will be displayed simultaneously and stored in memory.
Near the top of this screen are two options that apply to UA charting capabilities:
Charting Limit
The "Limit to ___ Charts" prompt sets the number of charts UA will display simultaneously. Although generally only one chart is displayed at any time, more can be viewed simultaneously through options on the Window Menu. Even when charts are displayed individually, having them pre-created lets you quickly flip through them without having to wait for chart creation.
Based on the above arguments for a large limit, one might arbitrarily set the number very high to avoid hitting the threshold. That would be a mistake!
The recommended (and default) entry is 28. Because Windows resources are scarce and charting places a heavy burden on these resources, limiting the number of charts reduces your chances of experiencing performance degradation and program failure. If you feel your computer can handle a higher number, you might experiment with higher values. If your computer becomes sluggish or has system failures during charting, reduce this value.
You'll see the charting maximum at work if you select all items in a portfolio, and then click "Chart." The number of charts created will be limited to the number set here, and a warning screen will say so. However, if you always scroll through your charts one at a time (without pre-selecting multiple contracts), you'll never notice this limit in effect.
In-Memory Limit
The "Limit to ___ cached in-memory series" determines how many recently viewed charts will be available for immediate recall. Like the chart limit, this feature is designed to save you from system degradation caused by charts using excessive memory. We recommend using the default value of 28. This may be increased if your computer can handle more charts without any problems. In some cases, a lower number may improve system operation.
Click [OK] to save your changes.