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Power BI Composite Model V2 – the missing part between Self-Service and Goverened BI is in Preview

This post is also available in: Deutsch Normally, I write about updates in the Power BI universe quite rarely, and when I do, it’s only when it’s a significant improvement from my perspective. So it is in this case.Last week, Microsoft introduced in Preview the ability to access Power BI datasets and Azure Analysis Services via DirectQuery. What doesn’t sound all that spectacular could actually be Power BI’s next big unique selling point! Combination of multiple Power BI datasets and flat files But what exactly are the new possibilities of the new composite model and what does that mean in real life? So far we have been able to connect “live” to multiplerelational databases. Once we connected to a Power BI dataset, there was only the option to connect to a single dataset. Dies konnte in Power BI Service liegen oder als Analysis Services Tabular Modell. This update changes just that. Ich kann mich live auf mehrere Datenmodelle gleichzeitig verbinden bzw. wie in DirectQuery auch noch um weitere Datenquellen wie flat files oder Web-Daten ergänzen.This means that I can run self service on my deployed dataset! I can combine and evaluate CSV files, new columns and even an additional […]

Tip for your daily work – Do you already know Microsoft PowerToys and the Color Picker?

This post is also available in: Deutsch Today I’ m going to write a post that doesn’t directly have anything to do with Power BI, but still adds a lot of value there. For about a year now, I’ve been using Microsoft PowerToys, a combination of different tools that make your life easier. Original idea, FancyZones to divide the screen into different areas Actually, I came across PowerToys when I was looking for a tool that can divide my wide-screen monitor into different areas. I tested a few tools and ended up with FancyZones from the PowerToys Suite. From my point of view, it works the best of all tools and at the same time it is also free of charge. However, what I use the most after trying out the individual tools, besides the FancyZones, is the Color Picker. Determining the exact color tone with the Color Picker In my work, I am constantly creating prototypes, proofs of concepts, and similar demos to show various customers what is possible with Power BI. Of course, the report should be customized to the customer as much as possible. This includes, naturally, using the customer’s colors. In the past, this was […]

Display DAX Measures in a Matrix on Rows

This post is also available in: Deutsch Update March 2022: Screenshot of the new format pane added Measures are the best way to calculate your key figures in Power BI. In a matrix, however, these can normally only be displayed as values and not at row or column level. However, sometimes you need them exactly at the row level. Display contribution margin calculation at row level An example I came across recently was the presentation of a contribution margin calculation. The individual items should be displayed below each other at row level. The default view, when displaying only the Measures, is horizontally aligned: Even if you explicitly drag the measures onto the rows, they cannot be displayed at row level: There is, however, an option which is rather unknown, but which makes this possible very easily: the option “Show on rows” in the Matrix Visual: In the new format pane you will find the option in the following spot: As soon as this option is activated, the measures are automatically displayed on the X-axis: In my example, the use of custom visuals was not allowed. Otherwise, there are some other options as an alternative. […]

Integrate Power BI Report with complete interactivity in OneNote

This post is also available in: Deutsch I recently received a tip from a colleague at work, which was also something I hadn’t seen before. More precisely, it was about integrating a Power BI report with all reporting options into a OneNote page. For this purpose, I use the report with the manual fonts as an example. The report has to be shared on Power BI Services (powerbi.com) via Share –> Embed report –> Publish to web (public): Warning: When sharing via “Publish to web (public)”, the report can be viewed by anyone who knows the link. This is highly dangerous and should only be done with reports that are intended for the public anyway! In the dialog that appears, you can specify a few options such as the size of the report. Then the report link can be copied: In OneNote, the copied link can simply be pasted and the report appears fully interactive and embedded in the OneNote page: Works only with Public Shared Reports However, there is one major limitation. At the current time, the feature only works with publicly shared reports. This means that anyone who is in possession of the link will be able […]

Convert UNIX Timestamp to DATE or DATETIME format in Power BI

This post is also available in: Deutsch If you find a date or datetime format in UNIX format, the first thing you wonder is what it is all about or how you can display it “normally”. This is because the UNIX date format looks like this: What exactly is UNIX Timestamp? To find a way to convert this, we first need to understand what the number means. The UNIX timestamp is the number of seconds since January 01, 1970. You can read exactly about why it is like this in the Wikipedia article. I want to focus on finding a solution for this problem. In the above example, 1604135115 seconds after 01 January 1970 is 31 October 2020 at 09:05 AM and 15 seconds. Update February 20, 2023: The classic UNIX timestamp is, as said, the number of seconds since 01/01/1970. However, there are some programming languages and APIs that specify the timestamp in milliseconds since 01/01/1970. In such a case, the solutions given below must simply be divided by 1000. Some examples of this can be found at the end of the article. The timestamp for a value in 2023 is then not 10-digit as indicated above, but […]