# Features Overview and Difficulty Index
**Level: all** • Previous: [Learning the Interface](./learning_the_ui.md.html)
Every user guide, grouped by what it covers and graded by difficulty. Everyday operation is Standard; the analytics tools are Advanced.
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Standard** | Normal day-to-day operation: install and connect, the windows and toolbars, option chains, the OA window, Commit, trades, accounts, charts. No analytics background needed. |
| **Advanced** | Volatility-skew and dealer-positioning analytics (all skew tools, GEX, VEX, TRACE, Hedging Flow, regime tools, distribution stats), Trade Rules, and setting up the AI assistant. Assumes you are comfortable with Greeks and implied volatility. |
Editions: guides marked **Premium** or **Expert** need that edition (or the Free Trial, which unlocks everything). See [Licensing & Editions](./licensing_user_guide.md.html).
---
## Difficulty index (all guides)
### Standard
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| [Getting Started](./getting_started.md.html) | Install, TWS settings, first connection |
| [Core Concepts](./core_concepts.md.html) | Main window, OA, watchlist, accounts, trades |
| [Learning the Interface](./learning_the_ui.md.html) | Toolstrips, shortcuts, closing SOAP2 |
| [Initial Walk-Through](./initial_walkthrough.md.html) | Your first trade, step by step |
| [Top Toolstrip](./toolstrip_tutorial.md.html) | Every button on the main toolbar |
| [Status Bar](./bottomtoolstrip_tutorial.md.html) | Bottom bar: session and data usage |
| [Settings Menu](./settings_tutorial.md.html) | Where each setting lives |
| [Watchlist](./watchlist_user_guide.md.html) | Add symbols, live quotes, delete guard |
| [Symbol Settings](./symbolsettings.md.html) | Per-symbol preferences |
| [Keyboard Shortcuts](./keyboard_shortcuts.md.html) | Full shortcut list |
| [Multi-Display Support](./multi_monitor_quick_reference.md.html) | Working across several monitors |
| [Trade List](./TradeList.md.html) | View, rename, archive, import and export trades |
| [Accounts](./accounts_user_guide.md.html) | Accounts, IB account info, Financial Advisor (Premium) |
| [Licensing & Editions](./licensing_user_guide.md.html) | Which edition has what |
| [Version Handling & Updates](./version_handling_user_guide.md.html) | How update checks work |
| [SMTP setup for GMail](./emailsetup.md.html) | Send feedback from inside SOAP2 |
| [OptionsChain (OA Window)](./optionschain_overview.md.html) | The core analysis window |
| [Expiries](./optionschain_expiries.md.html) | Expiry tabs, calendar, trading classes |
| [OA Toolstrip](./optionschain_toolstrip_tutorial.md.html) | OA toolbar buttons and modes |
| [Chain Grids](./optionschain_grids.md.html) | Reading the call and put grids |
| [Commit Window](./commit_overview.md.html) | Preparing orders for TWS, Sensitivity chart |
| [Executions & Allocation](./executions_allocation.md.html) | Booking fills into trades |
| [Portfolio](./portfolio_user_guide.md.html) | One tile per trade, book-wide view |
| [Trade Reporting](./trade_reporting_user_guide.md.html) | Snapshots, final reports, comparisons |
| [Model & Trade Import/Export](./model_trade_importexport_user_guide.md.html) | Portable JSON, rolling a model |
| [Model Hover Popup](./model_hover_popup_user_guide.md.html) | Quick model details on hover |
| [Data Chart](./datachart_indicators_user_guide.md.html) | Historical chart and indicators |
| [Rewind](./rewind_user_guide.md.html) | Replay a past session in an OA (Premium) |
| [IB Scanner](./ibscanner_user_guide.md.html) | Run IB's market scanner (Premium) |
| [Bank Holidays](./BankHolidays.md.html) | Market calendar handling |
| [AI Assistant (Claude)](./ai_assistant_user_guide.md.html) | Ask Claude about SOAP2 (connecting it is an Advanced setup) |
### Advanced
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| [Risk Reversal & Skew](./optionschain_riskreversal.md.html) | Vertical and horizontal skew, RR and BF |
| [Index Distribution Stats](./indexstats_user_guide.md.html) | Return distribution, tail risk and volatility-index statistics for SPX, NDX, RUT, SPY, QQQ, IWM |
| [GEX / VEX](./gexvex_user_guide.md.html) | Gamma and vanna exposure by strike (SPX, RUT) |
| [Hedging Flow](./hedgingflow_user_guide.md.html) | Implied dealer hedging flows (experimental) |
| [TRACE](./trace_user_guide.md.html) | Dealer gamma heatmap (experimental, Expert) |
| [Sticky-Strike / Sticky-Delta Regime](./stickyskew_regime_user_guide.md.html) | Skew regime dashboard (Premium, Expert) |
| [Dispersion / Correlation Regime](./dispersion_regime_user_guide.md.html) | Index versus single-stock regime (Premium, Expert) |
| [Trade Rules (BETA)](./trade_rules_user_guide.md.html) | Per-trade rules with recommended responses |
| [AI Assistant (Claude): setup](./ai_assistant_user_guide.md.html) | Connecting Claude Desktop or Code to SOAP2 |
Looking for something specific? The full [User Manual](./user_manual.md.html) covers every feature in one long page.
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## Word guides (downloadable)
Longer, screenshot-led guides in Word format. Everything here is also covered by the pages above; these are for reading offline or printing. Skew tools (HSkew, VSkew, the Volatility Surface) and the regime tools are Advanced.
| Guide | Level | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| [First Guide](./Guide/SOAP2_FirstGuide.docx) | Standard | A first walk through SOAP2 |
| [Options Chain](./Guide/SOAP2%20Options%20Chain.docx) | Standard | The OA window |
| [Commit](./Guide/SOAP2%20Commit.docx) | Standard | Preparing and sending combo orders |
| [Trade Log](./Guide/SOAP2%20Trade%20Log.docx) | Standard | The trade log and executions |
| [Accounts](./Guide/SOAP2%20Accounts.docx) | Standard | Accounts and IB account info |
| [General Settings](./Guide/SOAP2%20General%20Settings.docx) | Standard | Every General Settings option |
| [Data Chart Indicators](./Guide/SOAP2%20Data%20Chart%20Indicators.docx) | Standard | The historical chart and its indicators |
| [Rewind](./Guide/SOAP2%20Rewind.docx) | Standard | Replaying a past session |
| [AI Assistant](./Guide/SOAP2%20AI%20Assistant.docx) | Standard to use, Advanced to set up | Connecting and asking Claude |
| [HSkew & VSkew](./Guide/SOAP2%20HSkew%20VSkew.docx) | Advanced | Horizontal and vertical skew |
| [Volatility Surface](./Guide/SOAP2%20Volatility%20Surface.docx) | Advanced | The volatility surface view |
| [GEX / VEX](./Guide/SOAP2%20GEX%20VEX.docx) | Advanced | Gamma and vanna exposure |
| [Regime Tools](./Guide/SOAP2%20Regime%20Tools.docx) | Advanced | Sticky Skew and Dispersion regimes |
---
## Features by area
### Analyse an options chain
- Live chains, strike ladders and expiries: [OA window](./optionschain_overview.md.html), [Expiries](./optionschain_expiries.md.html), [Grids](./optionschain_grids.md.html)
- Risk graph and skew: [OA window](./optionschain_overview.md.html), [Risk Reversal & Skew](./optionschain_riskreversal.md.html)
- Historical replay: [Rewind](./rewind_user_guide.md.html) (Premium)
- Exposure tools: [GEX / VEX](./gexvex_user_guide.md.html), [Hedging Flow](./hedgingflow_user_guide.md.html), [TRACE](./trace_user_guide.md.html)
- Regime dashboards: [Sticky-Strike / Sticky-Delta](./stickyskew_regime_user_guide.md.html), [Dispersion](./dispersion_regime_user_guide.md.html)
### Prepare and manage trades
- Build and send: [Commit Window](./commit_overview.md.html)
- Book fills: [Executions & Allocation](./executions_allocation.md.html)
- Track: [Trade List](./TradeList.md.html), [Portfolio](./portfolio_user_guide.md.html), [Trade Reporting](./trade_reporting_user_guide.md.html)
- Share and move: [Model & Trade Import/Export](./model_trade_importexport_user_guide.md.html)
- Monitor: [Trade Rules](./trade_rules_user_guide.md.html)
### Market data and charts
- [Watchlist](./watchlist_user_guide.md.html), [Data Chart](./datachart_indicators_user_guide.md.html), [IB Scanner](./ibscanner_user_guide.md.html)
### Accounts, editions and help
- [Accounts](./accounts_user_guide.md.html): accounts, IB account info and Financial Advisor tools.
- [Licensing & Editions](./licensing_user_guide.md.html): SOAP2 is distributed in several editions (Free Trial, Freeware, Regular, Premium, WhiteLabel), shown in square brackets in the Message Log at startup.
- [Version Handling & Updates](./version_handling_user_guide.md.html): SOAP2 checks silently at startup for a newer build and tells you in the Message Log if one is available. No popups, no automatic installs.
- [AI Assistant (Claude)](./ai_assistant_user_guide.md.html): ask Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant) plain-language questions about SOAP2 ("How do I rewind to a past date?", "What is skew?") and it answers from SOAP2's own Help, with links back to the pages it used. Available to every edition, nothing to switch on inside SOAP2. Connect it from **General Settings > AI assistant (Claude)**: one click, no PowerShell needed. During the Free Trial (or in Developer mode), Claude can optionally also read your live SOAP2 state (open OAs, trades, watchlist): read-only, off by default, still in beta.
- [Troubleshooting & Support](./troubleshooting_support.md.html)
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## Video walkthroughs
Short screen recordings are collected on the [Videos page](./videos.md.html), and linked from the guides they relate to.