A Point and Figure (P&F) chart is a price-action focused visualization that uses columns of X's (rising prices) and O's (falling prices) to display significant price movements while filtering out time and minor fluctuations. Unlike traditional time-based charts, P&F charts only plot a new symbol when price moves by a defined box size, and only start a new column when price reverses by a specified number of boxes (typically 3). This makes it ideal for identifying clear trends, support/resistance levels, and generating trading signals.
#' anyplot.ai
#' point-and-figure-basic: Point and Figure Chart
#' Library: ggplot2 3.5.1 | R 4.4.1
#' Quality: 87/100 | Created: 2026-05-20
library(ggplot2)
library(ragg)
set.seed(42)
# --- Theme tokens ---
THEME <- Sys.getenv("ANYPLOT_THEME", "light")
PAGE_BG <- if (THEME == "light") "#FAF8F1" else "#1A1A17"
ELEVATED_BG <- if (THEME == "light") "#FFFDF6" else "#242420"
INK <- if (THEME == "light") "#1A1A17" else "#F0EFE8"
INK_SOFT <- if (THEME == "light") "#4A4A44" else "#B8B7B0"
BULL_COLOR <- "#009E73" # Okabe-Ito #1 — bullish X columns
BEAR_COLOR <- "#AE3030" # imprint red — bearish O columns
# --- Synthetic daily close prices (ACME Corp., 300 trading days) ---
n_days <- 300
prices <- numeric(n_days)
prices[1] <- 52.0
for (i in 2:n_days) {
drift <- if (i <= 80) 0.18 else if (i <= 160) -0.15 else if (i <= 240) 0.10 else -0.06
prices[i] <- prices[i - 1] + rnorm(1, mean = drift, sd = 1.2)
}
prices <- pmax(prices, 20)
# --- P&F algorithm ---
box_size <- 2.0
reversal <- 3L
floor_box <- function(p) floor(p / box_size) * box_size
build_pf <- function(prices, box_size, reversal) {
symbols <- list()
dir <- NA_character_
col_num <- 1L
ref <- floor_box(prices[1])
current <- ref
for (p in prices[-1]) {
lvl <- floor_box(p)
if (is.na(dir)) {
if (lvl >= ref + box_size) {
dir <- "X"
for (v in seq(ref + box_size, lvl, by = box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "X")
current <- lvl
} else if (lvl <= ref - box_size) {
dir <- "O"
for (v in seq(ref - box_size, lvl, by = -box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "O")
current <- lvl
}
} else if (dir == "X") {
if (lvl >= current + box_size) {
for (v in seq(current + box_size, lvl, by = box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "X")
current <- lvl
} else if (lvl <= current - reversal * box_size) {
col_num <- col_num + 1L
dir <- "O"
for (v in seq(current - box_size, lvl, by = -box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "O")
current <- lvl
}
} else {
if (lvl <= current - box_size) {
for (v in seq(current - box_size, lvl, by = -box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "O")
current <- lvl
} else if (lvl >= current + reversal * box_size) {
col_num <- col_num + 1L
dir <- "X"
for (v in seq(current + box_size, lvl, by = box_size))
symbols[[length(symbols) + 1L]] <- data.frame(col = col_num, price = v, type = "X")
current <- lvl
}
}
}
if (length(symbols) == 0)
return(data.frame(col = integer(), price = numeric(), type = character()))
do.call(rbind, symbols)
}
pf <- build_pf(prices, box_size, reversal)
# --- Plot ---
n_cols <- max(pf$col)
y_lo <- min(pf$price) - box_size
y_hi <- max(pf$price) + box_size
x_end <- n_cols + 0.5
# --- 45-degree trend lines (1 box per column = slope of box_size) ---
x_col_ids <- sort(unique(pf$col[pf$type == "X"]))
o_col_ids <- sort(unique(pf$col[pf$type == "O"]))
support_df <- data.frame(
x = x_col_ids,
y = sapply(x_col_ids, function(c) min(pf$price[pf$col == c])),
xend = x_end
)
support_df$yend <- support_df$y + (x_end - support_df$x) * box_size
resist_df <- data.frame(
x = o_col_ids,
y = sapply(o_col_ids, function(c) max(pf$price[pf$col == c])),
xend = x_end
)
resist_df$yend <- resist_df$y - (x_end - resist_df$x) * box_size
p <- ggplot(pf, aes(x = col, y = price, label = type, color = type)) +
geom_segment(
data = support_df,
aes(x = x, y = y, xend = xend, yend = yend),
color = BULL_COLOR, alpha = 0.45, linewidth = 0.55, linetype = "dashed",
inherit.aes = FALSE
) +
geom_segment(
data = resist_df,
aes(x = x, y = y, xend = xend, yend = yend),
color = BEAR_COLOR, alpha = 0.45, linewidth = 0.55, linetype = "dashed",
inherit.aes = FALSE
) +
geom_text(size = 3.5, fontface = "bold", family = "mono") +
scale_color_manual(
values = c("X" = BULL_COLOR, "O" = BEAR_COLOR),
labels = c("X" = "X Bullish", "O" = "O Bearish"),
name = NULL
) +
guides(color = guide_legend(
override.aes = list(label = c("O", "X"), size = 4.5, fontface = "bold", family = "mono")
)) +
scale_x_continuous(
name = "Column (Reversal #)",
breaks = seq(2, n_cols, by = 2),
limits = c(0.5, n_cols + 0.5),
expand = expansion(0)
) +
scale_y_continuous(
name = "Price (USD)",
breaks = seq(y_lo, y_hi, by = box_size * 2),
minor_breaks = seq(y_lo, y_hi, by = box_size),
limits = c(y_lo, y_hi),
expand = expansion(0)
) +
labs(title = "point-and-figure-basic · r · ggplot2 · anyplot.ai") +
theme_minimal(base_size = 8) +
theme(
plot.background = element_rect(fill = PAGE_BG, color = PAGE_BG),
panel.background = element_rect(fill = PAGE_BG, color = NA),
panel.grid.major = element_line(color = INK_SOFT, linewidth = 0.15),
panel.grid.minor = element_line(color = INK_SOFT, linewidth = 0.08),
panel.border = element_blank(),
axis.title = element_text(color = INK, size = 10),
axis.text = element_text(color = INK_SOFT, size = 8),
axis.line.x.bottom = element_line(color = INK_SOFT, linewidth = 0.4),
axis.line.y.left = element_line(color = INK_SOFT, linewidth = 0.4),
axis.ticks = element_blank(),
plot.title = element_text(color = INK, size = 12, face = "bold"),
legend.background = element_rect(fill = ELEVATED_BG, color = INK_SOFT, linewidth = 0.3),
legend.text = element_text(color = INK_SOFT, size = 9),
legend.margin = margin(4, 6, 4, 6),
legend.key.size = unit(0.8, "lines"),
legend.position = "right",
plot.margin = margin(12, 12, 8, 10)
)
# --- Save ---
ggsave(
filename = sprintf("plot-%s.png", THEME),
plot = p,
device = ragg::agg_png,
width = 8,
height = 4.5,
units = "in",
dpi = 400
)
Part of Point and Figure Chart on anyplot.ai.