Hi, I'm looking for an indicator that shows the average price change over the last N bars.

Something like:

SUM_N_BARS(ABS(OPEN - CLOSE)) / N

This is not the same as ATR (average true range) and I can't find this indicator if it already exists.

Thanks!

Shot in the dark, but doesn't "ROC" indicator calculate the same, even better since its in % ?

Nope, ROC is the sum of the differences of the LAST prices over N bars.

Quoting 

Hi, I'm looking for an indicator that shows the average price change over the last N bars.

Try this:

Add the Spreadsheet Formula study.
- Put this formula in its Formula field: =ABS(O-C)
- Check 'Hide Study' (optional).

Add the Moving Average - Simple study.
- Set the 'Based On'' to the Spreadsheet Formula study.
- Set the 'Chart Region' to the same as the Spreadsheet Formula study.
- Set the 'Input Data' to Result
- Set the 'Length' to your requirements.

Thanks that does work, but is it normal for spreadsheet formula indicator to only calculate to N bars back (2000 is the default).

Other build in indicators just seem to calculate as needed and you can scroll back days or weeks and they work fine, but the spreadsheet formula based one stops after 2000 bars back (for example).

Quoting 

is it normal for spreadsheet formula indicator to only calculate to N bars back (2000 is the default).

It is a limitation in other studies that contain user formulas:
-Color Bar Based On Alert Condition
-Color Background Based On Alert Condition
-Trading System Based On Alert Condition
-All 3 spreadsheet studies

If you want to see further back, you can scroll the chart into the past, do a Replay Chart, and hit Pause.

Your over complicating it.
If todays close is C and yesterdays close was C[1] then todays change is C-C[1]
It follows that the "average price change over the last 3 days" is
( (C - C[1]) + (C[1]-C[2]) + (C[2]-C[3]) ) / 3
which is just simply
(C- C[3])/3
Hence the "average price change over the last N days" is just (C-C[N])/N

There is a way to do this with SC studies.

1. Add the "Study Subgraphs Difference" Study
2. Choose the Open and Close as the two inputs
3. And a Simple Moving Average study and select the first difference as input

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