The new Smart Scale features V17 Beta are nice but I'm having difficulty making a true apples to apples comparison of stocks on the same scale.

I would like to compare two stocks, one from each of two watchlists, in an overlay on one chart using the same Fixed % Grid scale value without locking the price absolute numeric values to the same scale. 

This would allow actual "apples to apples" comparison of stock price movement expressed in Percentage.

I've tried adding a Symbols plot, changing the Symbol to Color Group selection, and then moving the plot to either Overlay or Overlay & Scale With without success because they are always scaled by absolute price value and not percentage change.  If the price values are much different, one of them does not show.  For example, try to compare a stock to BRKA.  This type of comparison was available in earlier versions.

Am I missing something  in making this comparison?

Comparisons of added plots is also difficult is because parameter change controls, displayed at the bottom right of the primary plot, are not available on the secondary plot and it is impossible to determine the percentage between lines parameter.

Another way to make "apples to apples" comparisons would be to add the Color Group selection option to some of the 10 entries in Comparisons pull-down in the Chart Properties panel.

If you just add a second price to the same pane (so overlayed, but not in the same scale), there should be two price scales (one for each stock) and the visible range as a percentage should be the same for both as long as the projection space at the top and bottom of the charts (the little white triangles pointing to the left) are lined up with each other and the percentage of stocks that will fin on Smart Scale has not been changed (is set at its initial 81%).

How to Overlay an Indicator
How to create projection space on your chart

You can toggle off the display off both price scales and switch which price scale is displayed as well.

How to toggle the Indicator Scale when multiple indicators are plotted in the same pane

An additional price plot is not in fact a primary price plot and does not have all of the features of a primary price plot. That said, the percentage between lines will be the same for multiple symbols if all of the symbols have the same projection space and are all set to the default 81% for the percentage of stocks with will fin on Smart Scale.

There are probably some other defaults which you could change like the grid spacing and stuff that would screw this up as well, but if you just leave the scaling settings alone on the primary chart and add the secondary chart with both set to Smart Scale it should all line up.

I think being able to set symbol colors in Comparisons would be quite useful as well.

Thank you for your comments and suggestions.

Bruce, thanks for the reply.  I'm beginning to understand this now. However, there are still some things that don't seem right.

1.  In Smart Scale with Percent Grid, is the scaling factor supposed to be locked at 81% for secondary plots, both separate and overlay, while the primary plot factor can be changed?   It would be more useful if the secondary plot factor also had the option of being linked with the primary plot factor or, when the secondary price scale is toggled into view, independently changed.

2.  Changing scale parameters is confusing with a Secondary chart overlay that is not scaled with the primary chart, both with Fixed % Grid.  When only the primary chart scale is toggled into sight, the Red % and a mouse wheel roll over the vertical scale both control the primary chart.  When only the Secondary chart scale is in sight, the Red % controls the primary chart as before and a mouse wheel roll over the vertical secondary chart scale controls the secondary chart.  These should be consistent with control of the visible scale.  Also it would be nice to have the option of linking the Red %s together.  There is no way to change the Fixed % for the secondary chart except by using the drop down menu rpeatedly.

Thanks for the reply and all your help.

I don't know if the scaling factor is supposed to be locked at 81% for secondary plots, I can just tell you that it is. I am generally agreed that there should be a way to link the secondary scaling factor (and projection space) to the primary scale (and that this should be on by default).

Thank you for your suggestions.