How the five methods differ
| Method | Center / first formula | Additional levels |
|---|---|---|
| Classic / Floor | P = (H + L + C) ÷ 3 | R1 = 2P − L; S1 = 2P − H; R2/S2 = P ± range; R3/S3 extend the range again. |
| Fibonacci | Same P as Classic | R/S levels use ±0.382, ±0.618 and ±1.000 × prior range. |
| Woodie | P = (H + L + 2C) ÷ 4 | Close-weighted center with Classic-style R1/S1 and range extensions. |
| Camarilla | No central pivot required | R1–R4 / S1–S4 = C ± 1.1 × range × 1/12, 1/6, 1/4 and 1/2. |
| DeMark | X depends on C vs O | P reference = X ÷ 4; R1 = X ÷ 2 − L; S1 = X ÷ 2 − H. |
Worked hypothetical example
With prior H = 110, L = 90, O = 98 and C = 105, the Classic pivot is 101.6667, Woodie pivot is 102.5, Camarilla R4 is 116 and DeMark R1 is 117.5. If the optional reference value is 103, the nearest calculated level is Camarilla S1 at 103.1667, only 0.1667 away.
Use one completed period consistently
Daily pivots normally use the previous completed daily period; weekly pivots use the previous completed week. PreBreakout does not decide which session boundary or timeframe is appropriate for your market. Use OHLC values from the same completed period and source.
Reference levels are not forecasts
Pivot formulas transform prior-period values into fixed arithmetic levels. Different methods can disagree because they weight the close or prior range differently. The calculator does not estimate whether any level will be reached, hold, reverse price or produce a profitable trade.
Optional reference-distance check
The reference input simply finds the numerically closest level among the five methods and reports distance. It can be a hypothetical value or one you copy from another source; no quote is fetched and proximity is not treated as a signal.