Module 2 · Reading a Level With Every Tool

The Four-Layer Read

What each tool tells you when price reaches your level.

In this lesson you'll

Run the four-layer read at a level
Know what each tool contributes
Combine them into one judgment

Price has reached a mapped level. Now you read it with each confirmation tool — each answers a different sub-question:

Heatmap (resting liquidity): is there a wall defending the level? Does it hold as price arrives, or pull?
Footprint (executed aggression): is there absorption (heavy volume, no progress), a stacked imbalance (one side dominating), or exhaustion (shrinking volume at the extreme)?
Delta / CVD (net flow): is there a divergence — price pushing one way while net aggressive flow goes the other?
DOM / tape (live interaction): is the wall actually being traded into and holding? Are offers pulling while bids stack (or vice versa)?

Bid — aggressive sellersAsk — aggressive buyersBuy imbalanceSell imbalancePOC (most volume)Candle = bar direction

At the level, the footprint layer shows absorption: heavy ask volume at 4503.25 that fails to make a new high above 4503.50 ① — aggressive buyers being soaked up. Cross-read this with the heatmap (is a wall holding?) and CVD (divergence?).

You're not looking for one perfect signal — you're building a picture. Each layer is a witness. When the heatmap, the footprint, the delta and the tape all describe the same story (e.g., “buyers are being absorbed here”), the read is high-conviction. When they conflict, you stand aside.

Key takeaways

Heatmap = resting liquidity (wall holds or pulls).
Footprint = executed aggression (absorption / imbalance / exhaustion).
Delta / CVD = net flow (divergence).
DOM / tape = live interaction (wall traded into, stacking/pulling).

Check your understanding

Pick an answer to reveal instant feedback. Answer every question to complete the lesson.

Question 1 of 2

At your level, which question does the FOOTPRINT layer answer?

The footprint shows EXECUTED aggression at each price — absorption, imbalances, exhaustion. Resting liquidity is the heatmap; live pulling is the DOM; fair value is the profile.

Question 2 of 2

The four-layer read is high-conviction when:

Conviction comes from agreement: when every layer tells the same story at the level, the read is strong. Conflicting layers are a reason to stand aside.

Educational content only. Nothing here is financial or trading advice. Order-flow and options patterns shift probabilities; they never guarantee outcomes.

The Four-Layer Read

In this lesson you'll

Key takeaways

Check your understanding

Read order flow on a platform built for it.

Do you have a Rithmic account?