Welcome to the May 2024 update! Here are a few, select highlights of the many we have for Power BI. There are new On-object Interaction updates, DAX query view is now generally available, find out how to view reports in OneDrive and SharePoint with live connected semantic models.

There is much more to explore, please continue to read on!

Microsoft Build Announcements

At Microsoft Build 2024, we are thrilled to announce a huge array of innovations coming to the Microsoft Fabric platform that will make Microsoft Fabric’s capabilities even more robust and even customizable to meet the unique needs of each organization. To learn more about these changes, read the “Unlock real-time insights with AI-powered analytics in Microsoft Fabric” announcement blog by Arun Ulag.

Earn a discount on your Microsoft Fabric certification exam! 

We’d like to thank the thousands of you who completed the Fabric AI Skills Challenge and earned a free voucher for Exam DP-600 which leads to the Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate certification.  

If you earned a free voucher, you can find redemption instructions in your email. We recommend that you schedule your exam now, before your discount voucher expires on June 24th. All exams must be scheduled and completed by this date.  

If you need a little more help with exam prep, visit the Fabric Career Hub which has expert-led training, exam crams, practice tests and more. 

Missed the Fabric AI Skills Challenge? We have you covered. For a limited time, you could earn a 50% exam discount by taking the Fabric 30 Days to Learn It Challenge. 

 

• Version number: v: 2.129.905.0
• Date published: 5/21/24

Contents

• Reporting
  • Modern Tooltip now on by Default
  • Matrix Layouts
  • Line Updates
  • On-Object Interaction Updates
  • Publish to folders   
  • You can now ask Copilot questions about data in your model   
• Modeling
  • Announcing general availability of DAX query view 
  • Copilot to write and explain DAX queries in DAX query view updates  
  • New Manage relationships dialog
  • Refreshing calculated columns and calculated tables referencing DirectQuery sources with single sign-on
  • Announcing general availability of model explorer and authoring calculation groups in Power BI Desktop
• Data connectivity
  • Microsoft Entra ID SSO support for Oracle database
  • Certified connector updates
  • View reports in OneDrive and SharePoint with live connected semantic models
• Service
  • Storytelling in PowerPoint – Image mode in the Power BI add-in for PowerPoint
  • Storytelling in PowerPoint – Data updated notification
• Developers
  • Git Integration support for Direct Lake semantic models
• Visualizations
  • Editor’s pick of the quarter
  • New visuals in AppSource
  • Financial Reporting Matrix by Profitbase
  • Horizon Chart by Powerviz
  • Sunburst Chart by Powerviz
  • Stacked Bar Chart with Line by JTA
  • Drill Down Combo PRO – now with Legend field

Reporting

Modern Tooltip now on by Default

Power BI tooltips are embarking on an evolution to enhance their functionality. To lay the groundwork, we are introducing the modern tooltip as the new default, a feature that many users may already recognize from its previous preview status. This change is more than just an upgrade; it’s the first step in a series of remarkable improvements. These future developments promise to revolutionize tooltip management and customization, offering possibilities that were previously only imaginable. As we prepare for the general availability of the modern tooltip, this is an excellent opportunity for users to become familiar with its features and capabilities.

Discover the full potential of the new tooltip feature by visiting our dedicated blog. Dive into the details and explore the comprehensive vision we’ve crafted for tooltips, designed to enhance your Power BI experience.

Matrix Layouts

We’ve listened to our community’s feedback on improving our tabular visuals (Table and Matrix), and we’re excited to initiate their transformation. Drawing inspiration from the familiar PivotTable in Excel, we aim to build new features and capabilities upon a stronger foundation. In our May update, we’re introducing ‘Layouts for Matrix.’ Now, you can select from compact, outline, or tabular layouts to alter the arrangement of components in a manner akin to Excel.

As an extension of the new layout options, report creators can now craft custom layout patterns by repeating row headers. This powerful control, inspired by Excel’s PivotTable layout, enables the creation of a matrix that closely resembles the look and feel of a table. This enhancement not only provides greater flexibility but also brings a touch of Excel’s intuitive design to Power BI’s matrix visuals. Only available for Outline and Tabular layouts.

To further align with Excel’s functionality, report creators now have the option to insert blank rows within the matrix. This feature allows for the separation of higher-level row header categories, significantly enhancing the readability of the report. It’s a thoughtful addition that brings a new level of clarity and organization to Power BI’s matrix visuals and opens a path for future enhancements for totals/subtotals and rows/column headers.

We understand your eagerness to delve deeper into the matrix layouts and grasp how these enhancements fulfill the highly requested features by our community. Find out more and join the conversation in our dedicated blog, where we unravel the details and share the community-driven vision behind these improvements.

Line Updates

Following last month’s introduction of the initial line enhancements, May brings a groundbreaking set of line capabilities that are set to transform your Power BI experience:

 

• Hide/Show lines: Gain control over the visibility of your lines for a cleaner, more focused report.
• Customized line pattern: Tailor the pattern of your lines to match the style and context of your data.
• Auto-scaled line pattern: Ensure your line patterns scale perfectly with your data, maintaining consistency and clarity.
• Line dash cap: Customize the end caps of your customized dashed lines for a polished, professional look.
• Line upgrades across other line types: Experience improvements in reference lines, forecast lines, leader lines, small multiple gridlines, and the new card’s divider line.

These enhancements are not to be missed. We recommend visiting our dedicated blog for an in-depth exploration of all the new capabilities added to lines, keeping you informed and up to date.

On-Object Interaction Updates

This May release, we’re excited to introduce on-object formatting support for Small multiples, Waterfall, and Matrix visuals. This new feature allows users to interact directly with these visuals for a more intuitive and efficient formatting experience. By double-clicking on any of these visuals, users can now right-click on the specific visual component they wish to format, bringing up a convenient mini-toolbar. This streamlined approach not only saves time but also enhances the user’s ability to customize and refine their reports with ease.

We’re also thrilled to announce a significant enhancement to the mobile reporting experience with the introduction of the pane manager for the mobile layout view. This innovative feature empowers users to effortlessly open and close panels via a dedicated menu, streamlining the design process of mobile reports.

Publish to folders 

We recently announced a public preview for folders in workspaces, allowing you to create a hierarchical structure for organizing and managing your items. In the latest Desktop release, you can now publish your reports to specific folders in your workspace.

When you publish a report, you can choose the specific workspace and folder for your report. The interface is simplistic and easy to understand, making organizing your Power BI content from Desktop better than ever.

To publish reports to specific folders in the service, make sure the “Publish dialogs support folder selection” setting is enabled in the Preview features tab in the Options menu.

Learn more about folders in workspaces.

You can now ask Copilot questions about data in your model

We’re excited to preview a new capability for Power BI Copilot allowing you to ask questions about the data in your model! You could already ask questions about the data present in the visuals on your report pages – and now you can go deeper by getting answers directly from the underlying model. Just ask questions about your data, and if the answer isn’t already on your report, Copilot will then query your model for the data instead and return the answer to your question in the form of a visual!

This feature will be released alongside a variety of other Copilot updates in the coming weeks, and it will be available in both Edit and View modes in the Power BI Service. Because this is a preview feature, you’ll need to enable it via the preview toggle in the Copilot pane. Keep an eye out for our announcement post, where you will be able to learn more about all the details of the feature!

Modeling

Announcing general availability of DAX query view

We are excited to announce the general availability of DAX query view. DAX query view is the fourth view in Power BI Desktop to run DAX queries on your semantic model.

DAX query view comes with several ways to help you be as productive as possible with DAX queries.

• Quick queries. Have the DAX query written for you from the context menu of tables, columns, or measures in the Data pane of DAX query view. Get the top 100 rows of a table, statistics of a column, or DAX formula of a measure to edit and validate in just a couple clicks!
• DirectQuery model authors can also use DAX query view. View the data in your tables whenever you want!
• Create and edit measures. Edit one or multiple measures at once. Make changes and see the change in action in a DA query. Then update the model when you are ready. All in DAX query view!
• See the DAX query of visuals. Investigate the visuals DAX query in DAX query view. Go to the Performance Analyzer pane and choose “Run in DAX query view”.
• Write DAX queries. You can create DAX queries with Intellisense, formatting, commenting/uncommenting, and syntax highlighting. And additional professional code editing experiences such as “Change all occurrences” and block folding to expand and collapse sections. Even expanded find and replace options with regex.

Learn more about DAX query view with these resources:

• Deep dive blog: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deep-dive-into-dax-query-view-and-writing-dax-queries/
• Learn more: https://learn.microsoft.com/power-bi/transform-model/dax-query-view
• Video: https://youtu.be/oPGGYLKhTOA?si=YKUp1j8GoHHsqdZo

Copilot to write and explain DAX queries in DAX query view  updates 

DAX query view includes an inline Fabric Copilot to write and explain DAX queries, which remains in public preview. This month we have made the following updates.

1. Run the DAX query before you keep it. Previously the Run button was disabled until the generated DAX query was accepted or Copilot was closed. Now you can Run the DAX query then decide to Keep or Discard the DAX query.

 2. Conversationally build the DAX query. Previously the DAX query generated was not considered if you typed additional prompts and you had to keep the DAX query, select it again, then use Copilot again to adjust. Now you can simply adjust by typing in additional user prompts.

3. Syntax checks on the generated DAX query. Previously there was no syntax check before the generated DAX query was returned. Now the syntax is checked, and the prompt automatically retried once. If the retry is also invalid, the generated DAX query is returned with a note that there is an issue, giving you the option to rephrase your request or fix the generated DAX query.

4. Inspire buttons to get you started with Copilot. Previously nothing happened until a prompt was entered. Now click any of these buttons to quickly see what you can do with Copilot!

Learn more about DAX queries with Copilot with these resources:

• Deep dive blog: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deep-dive-into-dax-query-view-with-copilot/
• Learn more: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/dax-copilot
• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kE3TE34oLM

New Manage relationships dialog

We are excited to introduce you to the redesigned ‘Manage relationships’ dialog in Power BI Desktop! To open this dialog simply select the ‘Manage relationships’ button in the modeling ribbon.

Once opened, you’ll find a comprehensive view of all your relationships, along with their key properties, all in one convenient location. From here you can create new relationships or edit an existing one.

Additionally, you have the option to filter and focus on specific relationships in your model based on cardinality and cross filter direction.

And to make things even easier, Power BI can find and create relationships for you by selecting the ‘Autodetect’ button.

Learn more about creating and managing relationships in Power BI Desktop in our documentation.

Refreshing calculated columns and calculated tables referencing DirectQuery sources with single sign-on

Ever since we released composite models on Power BI semantic models and Analysis Services, you have been asking us to support the refresh of calculated columns and tables in the Service. This month, we have enabled the refresh of calculated columns and tables in Service for any DirectQuery source that uses single sign-on authentication. This includes the sources you use when working with composite models on Power BI semantic models and Analysis Services.

Previously, the refresh of a semantic model that uses a DirectQuery source with single-sign-on authentication failed with one of the following error messages: “Refresh is not supported for datasets with a calculated table or calculated column that depends on a table which references Analysis Services using DirectQuery.” or “Refresh over a dataset with a calculated table or a calculated column which references a Direct Query data source is not supported.”

Starting today, you can successfully refresh the calculated table and calculated columns in a semantic model in the Service using specific credentials as long as:

• You used a shareable cloud connection and assigned it and/or
• Enabled granular access control for all data connection types

Here’s how to do this:

1. Create and publish your semantic model that uses a single sign-on DirectQuery source. This can be a composite model but doesn’t have to be.
2. In the semantic model settings, under Gateway and cloud connections, map each single sign-on DirectQuery connection to a specific connection. If you don’t have a specific connection yet, select ‘Create a connection’ to create it:

 

1. If you are creating a new connection, fill out the connection details and click Create, making sure to select ‘Use SSO via Azure AD for DirectQuery queries:

2. Finally, select the connection for each single sign-on DirectQuery source and select Apply:

 3. Either refresh the semantic model manually or plan a scheduled refresh to confirm the refresh now works successfully. Congratulations, you have successfully set up refresh for semantic models with a single sign-on DirectQuery connection that uses calculated columns or calculated tables!

Announcing general availability of model explorer and authoring calculation groups in Power BI Desktop

We are excited to announce the general availability of Model Explorer in the Model view of Power BI, including the authoring of calculation groups. Semantic modeling is even easier with an at-a-glance tree view with item counts, search, and in context paths to edit the semantic model items with Model Explorer. Top level semantic model properties are also available as well as the option to quickly create relationships in the properties pane. Additionally, the styling for the Data pane is updated to Fluent UI also used in Office and Teams.

A popular community request from the Ideas forum, authoring calculation groups is also included in Model Explorer. Calculation groups significantly reduce the number of redundant measures by allowing you to define DAX formulas as calculation items that can be applied to existing measures. For example, define a year over year, prior month, conversion, or whatever your report needs in DAX formula once as a calculation item and reuse it with existing measures. This can reduce the number of measures you need to create and make the maintenance of the business logic simpler.

Available in both Power BI Desktop and when editing a semantic model in the workspace, take your semantic model authoring to the next level today!

Learn more about Model Explorer and authoring calculation groups with these resources:

• Use Model explorer in Power BI (preview) – Power BI | Microsoft Learn
• Create calculation groups in Power BI (preview) – Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Data connectivity

Microsoft Entra ID SSO support for Oracle database

We’re happy to announce that the Oracle database connector has been enhanced this month with the addition of Single Sign-On support in the Power BI service with Microsoft Entra ID authentication.

Microsoft Entra ID SSO enables single sign-on to access data sources that rely on Microsoft Entra ID based authentication. When you configure Microsoft Entra SSO for an applicable data source, queries run under the Microsoft Entra identity of the user that interacts with the Power BI report.

Learn more about Microsoft Entra ID SSO in Power BI service: Microsoft Entra SSO – Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Certified connector updates

We’re pleased to announce the new and updated connectors in this release:

• [New] OneStream: The OneStream Power BI Connector enables you to seamlessly connect Power BI to your OneStream applications by simply logging in with your OneStream credentials. The connector uses your OneStream security, allowing you to access only the data you have based on your permissions within the OneStream application. Use the connector to pull cube and relational data along with metadata members, including all their properties. Visit OneStream Power BI Connector to learn more. Find this connector in the other category.
• [New] Zendesk Data: A new connector developed by the Zendesk team that aims to go beyond the functionality of the existing Zendesk legacy connector created by Microsoft. Learn more about what this new connector brings.
• [New] CCH Tagetik
• [Update] Azure Databricks

 

Are you interested in creating your own connector and publishing it for your customers? Learn more about the Power Query SDK and the Connector Certification program.

View reports in OneDrive and SharePoint with live connected semantic models

Last May, we announced the integration between Power BI and OneDrive and SharePoint. Previously, this capability was limited to only reports with data in import mode. We’re excited to announce that you can now seamlessly view Power BI reports with live connected data directly in OneDrive and SharePoint!

When working on Power BI Desktop with a report live connected to a semantic model in the service, you can easily share a link to collaborate with others on your team and allow them to quickly view the report in their browser. We’ve made it easier than ever to access the latest data updates without ever leaving your familiar OneDrive and SharePoint environments. This integration streamlines your workflows and allows you to access reports within the platforms you already use. With collaboration at the heart of this improvement, teams can work together more effectively to make informed decisions by leveraging live connected semantic models without being limited to data only in import mode.

Utilizing OneDrive and SharePoint allows you to take advantage of built-in version control, always have your files available in the cloud, and utilize familiar and simplistic sharing.

Learn more about viewing reports in OneDrive and SharePoint.

Service

Storytelling in PowerPoint – Image mode in the Power BI add-in for PowerPoint

While you told us that you appreciate the ability to limit the image view to only those who have permission to view the report, you asked for changes for the “Public snapshot” mode.

To address some of the feedback we got from you, we have made a few more changes in this area.

1. Add-ins that were saved as “Public snapshot” can be printed and will not require that you go over all the slides and load the add-ins for permission check before the public image is made visible.
2. You can use the “Show as saved image” on add-ins that were saved as “Public snapshot”. This will replace the entire add-in with an image representation of it, so the load time might be faster when you are presenting your presentation.

Storytelling in PowerPoint – Data updated notification

Many of us keep presentations open for a long time, which might cause the data in the presentation to become outdated.

To make sure you have in your slides the data you need, we added a new notification that tells you if more up to date data exists in Power BI and offers you the option to refresh and get the latest data from Power BI.

Developers

Git Integration support for Direct Lake semantic models

Direct Lake semantic models are now supported in Fabric Git Integration, enabling streamlined version control, enhanced collaboration among developers, and the establishment of CI/CD pipelines for your semantic models using Direct Lake.

Learn more about version control, testing, and deployment of Power BI content in our Power BI implementation planning documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/power-bi/guidance/powerbi-implementation-planning-content-lifecycle-management-overview

Visualizations

Editor’s pick of the quarter

–Animator for Power BI
  Innofalls Charts
  SuperTables
  Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo
  Dynamic KPI Card by Sereviso
  Shielded HTML Viewer
  Text search slicer

New visuals in AppSource

Mapa Polski – Województwa, Powiaty, Gminy
Workstream
Income Statement Table

Gas Detection Chart

Seasonality Chart
PlanIn BI – Data Refresh Service

Chart Flare

PictoBar
ProgBar

Counter Calendar
Donut Chart image

Financial Reporting Matrix by Profitbase

Making financial statements with a proper layout has just become easier with the latest version of the Financial Reporting Matrix.

Users are now able to specify which rows should be classified as cost-rows, which will make it easier to get the conditional formatting of variances correctly:

Selecting a row, and ticking “is cost” will tag the row as cost. This can be used in conditional formatting to make sure that positive variances on expenses are a bad for the result, while a positive variance on an income row is good for the result.

 

The new version also includes more flexibility in measuring placement and column subtotals.

 

Measures can be placed either:

• Default (below column headers)
• Above column headers
• In rows

 

• Conditionally hide columns
• + much more

 

Highlighted new features:

• Measure placement – In rows
• Select Column Subtotals
• New Format Pane design
• Row Options

 

Get the visual from AppSource and find more videos here!

Horizon Chart by Powerviz

A Horizon Chart is an advanced visual, for time-series data, revealing trends and anomalies. It displays stacked data layers, allowing users to compare multiple categories while maintaining data clarity. Horizon Charts are particularly useful to monitor and analyze complex data over time, making this a valuable visual for data analysis and decision-making.

Key Features:

• Horizon Styles: Choose Natural, Linear, or Step with adjustable scaling.
• Layer: Layer data by range or custom criteria. Display positive and negative values together or separately on top.
• Reference Line: Highlight patterns with X-axis lines and labels.
• Colors: Apply 30+ color palettes and use FX rules for dynamic coloring.
• Ranking: Filter Top/Bottom N values, with “Others”.
• Gridline: Add gridlines to the X and Y axis.
• Custom Tooltip: Add highest, lowest, mean, and median points without additional DAX.
• Themes: Save designs and share seamlessly with JSON files.

Other features included are ranking, annotation, grid view, show condition, and accessibility support.

 

Business Use Cases: Time-Series Data Comparison, Environmental Monitoring, Anomaly Detection

🔗 Try Horizon Chart for FREE from AppSource

📊 Check out all features of the visual: Demo file

📃 Step-by-step instructions: Documentation

💡 YouTube Video: Video Link

📍 Learn more about visuals: https://powerviz.ai/

✅ Follow Powerviz: https://lnkd.in/gN_9Sa6U

Milestone Trend Analysis Chart by Nova Silva

Exciting news! Thanks to your valuable feedback, we’ve enhanced our Milestone Trend Analysis Chart even further. We’re thrilled to announce that you can now switch between horizontal and vertical orientations, catering to your preferred visualization style.

The Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA) Chart remains your go-to tool for swiftly identifying deadline trends, empowering you to take timely corrective actions. With this update, we aim to enhance deadline awareness among project participants and stakeholders alike.

In our latest version, we seamlessly navigate between horizontal and vertical views within the familiar Power BI interface. No need to adapt to a new user interface – enjoy the same ease of use with added flexibility. Plus, it benefits from supported features like themes, interactive selection, and tooltips.

 

What’s more, ours is the only Microsoft Certified Milestone Trend Analysis Chart for Power BI, ensuring reliability and compatibility with the platform.

 

Ready to experience the enhanced Milestone Trend Analysis Chart? Download it from AppSource today and explore its capabilities with your own data – try for free!

 

We welcome any questions or feedback at our website: https://visuals.novasilva.com/. Try it out and elevate your project management insights now!

 

Sunburst Chart by Powerviz

Powerviz’s Sunburst Chart is an interactive tool for hierarchical data visualization. With this chart, you can easily visualize multiple columns in a hierarchy and uncover valuable insights. The concentric circle design helps in displaying part-to-whole relationships.

Key Features:

• Arc Customization: Customize shapes and patterns.
• Color Scheme: Accessible palettes with 30+ options.
• Centre Circle: Design an inner circle with layers. Add text, measure, icons, and images.
• Ranking: Filter Top/Bottom N values, with “Others”.
• Conditional Formatting: Easily identify outliers based on measure or category rules.
• Labels: Smart data labels for readability.
• Image Labels: Add an image as an outer label.
• Interactivity: Zoom, drill down, cross-filtering, and tooltip features.

Other features included are annotation, grid view, show condition, and accessibility support.

Business Use Cases: 

• Sales and Marketing: Market share analysis and customer segmentation.
• Finance: Department budgets and expenditures distribution.
• Operations: Supply chain management.
• Education: Course structure, curriculum creation.
• Human Resources: Organization structure, employee demographics.

🔗 Try Sunburst Chart for FREE from AppSource

📊 Check out all features of the visual: Demo file

📃 Step-by-step instructions: Documentation

💡 YouTube Video: Video Link

📍 Learn more about visuals: https://powerviz.ai/

✅ Follow Powerviz: https://lnkd.in/gN_9Sa6U

 

 

Stacked Bar Chart with Line by JTA

Clustered bar chart with the possibility to stack one of the bars

Stacked Bar Chart with Line by JTA seamlessly merges the simplicity of a traditional bar chart with the versatility of a stacked bar, revolutionizing the way you showcase multiple datasets in a single, cohesive display.

Unlocking a new dimension of insight, our visual features a dynamic line that provides a snapshot of data trends at a glance. Navigate through your data effortlessly with multiple configurations, gaining a swift and comprehensive understanding of your information.

Tailor your visual experience with an array of functionalities and customization options, enabling you to effortlessly compare a primary metric with the performance of an entire set. The flexibility to customize the visual according to your unique preferences empowers you to harness the full potential of your data.

Features of Stacked Bar Chart with Line:

• Stack the second bar
• Format the Axis and Gridlines
• Add a legend
• Format the colors and text
• Add a line chart
• Format the line
• Add marks to the line
• Format the labels for bars and line

 

If you liked what you saw, you can try it for yourself and find more information here. Also, if you want to download it, you can find the visual package on the AppSource.

Drill Down Combo PRO – now with Legend field 

We have added an exciting new feature to our Combo PRO, Combo Bar PRO, and Timeline PRO visuals – Legend field support. The Legend field makes it easy to visually split series values into smaller segments, without the need to use measures or create separate series. Simply add a column with category names that are adjacent to the series values, and the visual will do the following:

• Display separate segments as a stack or cluster, showing how each segment contributed to the total Series value.
• Create legend items for each segment to quickly show/hide them without filtering.
• Apply custom fill colors to each segment.
• Show each segment value in the tooltip

Read more about the Legend field on our blog article

Drill Down Combo PRO is made for creators who want to build visually stunning and user-friendly reports. Cross-chart filtering and intuitive drill down interactions make data exploration easy and fun for any user. Furthermore, you can choose between three chart types – columns, lines, or areas; and feature up to 25 different series in the same visual and configure each series independently.

📊 Get Drill Down Combo PRO on AppSource

🌐 Visit Drill Down Combo PRO product page

Documentation | ZoomCharts Website | Follow ZoomCharts on LinkedIn

That is all for this month! Please continue sending us your feedback and do not forget to vote for other features that you would like to see in Power BI! We hope that you enjoy the update! If you installed Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Store, please leave us a review.

Also, don’t forget to vote on your favorite feature this month on our community website. 

As always, keep voting on Ideas to help us determine what to build next. We are looking forward to hearing from you!