NinjaTrader 8 St

I have a fully-functional NinjaTrader 8 automated strategy that already works with an ATM template; I now need one focused enhancement.

The job is to insert a new parameter that lets me choose “Both / Long Only / Short Only.” When set, the selection must act as a true directional gate on every entry rule—long, short, or both—so no order fires in a disallowed direction under any circumstance.

To implement the gate I want to rely on an Exponential Moving Average filter. The exact period can stay user-configurable; what matters is that the EMA is evaluated consistently across historical bars and the live data feed, with no flip-flop at the historical-to-real-time boundary.

Key points you must hit
• Clean, readable C# that follows NT8 best practices (partial classes, OnStateChange, OnBarUpdate, etc.).
• Preserve my existing ATM integration; your addition should not disturb position sizing, stops, or targets.
• Proven stability when the script transitions from back-fill to real-time (I will test on simulated data and live market).
• Parameter appears in the strategy UI and saves/loads with templates like any native property.

Once complete I should be able to compile, apply the strategy to a chart, toggle the directional setting, and see orders obey the chosen direction in both playback and live trading. If this sounds straightforward to you, let’s get it done quickly—quality and reliability are paramount.