Power BI August 2024 Feature Summary | Microsoft Power BI Blog

Since the Copilot pane in Desktop is still in preview, you do not need to turn on the preview toggle to use this new capability.

Visual level format strings are here, providing you with more options to configure formatting. Originally built for visual calculations, the core ability that visual-level format strings provide is the ability to format visual calculations. Since visual calculations are not in the model, you could not format them, unless you were using them in data labels or in specific parts of the new card and new slicer visuals. With visual level format strings, you can!

Visual level format strings, however, are useful even without using visual calculations.

With the introduction of visual-level format strings, Power BI now has three levels for format strings:

• Model. You can set a format string for columns and measures in the model. Anywhere you use that column or measure the format string will be applied, unless it’s overridden by a visual or element level format string.
• Visual. This is what we’re introducing today. You can set format strings on any column, measure or visual calculation that is on your visual, even if they already had a format string. In that case the model level format string will be overridden, and the visual level format string is used.
• Element. You can set a format string for data labels and for specific elements of the new card and the new slicer visuals. This level will be expanded to include much more in the future. Any format string you set here will override the format string set on the visual and model level.

These levels are hierarchical, with the model level being the lowest level and the element level the highest. A format string defined on a column, measure or visual calculation on a higher-level override what was defined on a lower level.

Since visual calculations are not in the model, they cannot have a format string set on the model level but can on the visual or element level. Measures and columns can have format strings on all three levels:

The image below summarizes this and shows that higher level format strings override lower-level format strings:

Let’s look at an example using a measure.

I have a Profit measure in my model, which is set to a decimal number format. To do this, you might have set the formatting for this measure using the ribbon:

Alternatively, you could have made the same selections in the properties pane for the measure in the model view or entered the following custom formatting code:

If you put this measure on a visual it now returns a decimal number, as expected:

However, on a particular visual you want that measure to be formatted as a whole number. You can now do that by setting the format code on the visual level by opening the format pane for that visual and the Data format options found there under General:

Now that same measure shows as a whole number, but just on that visual:

On top of that, you might want to use a scientific notation for that measure but only in the data label on a particular visual. No problem, you set the format code on the data label for that measure:

So now the total shows in scientific notation, but only in the data label and not in other places (such as the tooltip as shown below). Notice how the element level format is used in the data label but the visual or model level format string is still used for the other elements in the same visual.

For visual calculations the same principle applies but of course without the model level. For example, if you have a visual calculation that returns a percentage, you can now format it as such using the Data Format options in the General on the visual in the format pane:

The ability to set visual level format strings makes it much easier to get the exact formatting you need for your visualizations. However, this is only the first iteration of the visual level format strings. We are planning to add the settings you’re used to for the model level format strings to the visual level soon.

Since visual level format strings are introduced as part of the visual calculations preview, you will need to turn on the visual calculations preview to use them. To do that, go to Options and Settings > Options > Preview features. Select Visual calculations and select OK. Visual calculations and visual level format strings are enabled after Power BI Desktop is restarted.

We are excited to announce the general availability of Dynamic per recipient subscriptions for Power BI and paginated reports. Dynamic per recipient subscriptions is designed to simplify distributing a personalized copy of a report to each recipient of an email subscription. You define which view of the report an individual receives by specifying which filters are applied to their version of the report. The feature is now available in Sov. Clouds as well.

Create a dynamic per recipient with a simple drag and drop experience. First, subscribe to the report by selecting “Subscribe to report”, then “Create Subscriptions”. Select “Dynamic per recipient” subscription.

Connect to data that has recipient email, names or report parameters.

Then, select and filter data that you want in your subscription. You probably only want to send emails conditionally. To do that, you can filter the data in the “Filter” pane.

You can select the recipient email addresses and the email subject from the dataset that you connected to by selecting “Get Data”.

You can then map your data to the subscription.

Then schedule the subscription and save it.

Beginning the first week of August, desktop users should see a preview switch starting in SU8 to turn on the updated Save and Upload to OneDrive experience in Power BI. To enable this, navigate to the Preview features section of Options in Power BI. Users will then need to select “Saving to OneDrive and SharePoint uploads the file in the background”.

With these updates, we’ve improved the experience of uploading new Power BI files to OneDrive, and easily upload new changes in the background.

Preview switch that needs to be selected.

For uploading new files, after navigating to the correct location in the OneDrive file picker and saving, a dialog box appears while the file is being uploaded. The option to cancel the upload is there if needed. This dialog will only show up the first time a new file is uploaded to OneDrive.

Dialog for saving a new file to OneDrive.

When new changes are saved to a file uploaded to OneDrive, the top of the toolbar indicates that the new changes are also being uploaded to OneDrive.

Additional changes being uploaded in the background to the existing file.

If you click on the title bar flyout in the toolbar, you can also now access more information about the file. Clicking “View your file in OneDrive” will provide a direct link to where the file is stored in OneDrive.

Drop down including the link to the file in OneDrive.

We are excited to roll out a great update that will give you more control over your visuals. We are introducing the data limit capability—your new best friend for managing performance hiccups.

Have you ever had a visual that just could not handle the heat of too much data? Well, those days are over. With data limits, you set the maximum data load for a single session per visual. It is like putting your visuals on a data diet, ensuring they stay fit and perform at their best.

How to flex this feature:

All the filter card features are here:

• Remove, lock, or clear filters with ease.
• Hide or show filters to keep things tidy.
• Expand or collapse filter cards for a quick overview.
• Apply filters to zero in on what matters.
• Rename and reorder filters to suit your flow.

For all you report consumers out there, keep an eye on the filter visual header. It will show you any data limits applied to your visual, even if the report creator decides to play hide and seek with the filter pane.

Over the past few months, we have been fine-tuning the visual elements of your reports—columns, bars, ribbons, and lines. We have given you the reins to craft those Cartesians with precision. But we noticed a hiccup: the legends and tooltips were not quite hitting the right notes.

With our latest update, we are bringing the legends and tooltips up to speed. Now, they will reflect the style enhancements you have applied to your visual shapes and lines, just as you intended. No more mismatched representations—just seamless, stylish consistency.

The best part? You do not have to lift a finger. This upgrade is automatic, a part of this update’s magic. So, sit back, relax, and watch as your legends and tooltips match the rhythm of your enhanced visuals.

Write DAX queries on your published semantic models with DAX query view in the web. DAX query view, already available in Power BI Desktop, is now also available when you are in the workspace.

Look for Write DAX queries on your published semantic model.

1. Right-click on the semantic model and choose Write DAX queries.
2. Click on the semantic model to open the details page, then click Write DAX queries at the top of the page.

This will launch DAX query view in the web, where you can write DAX queries, use quick queries to have DAX queries written for you on tables, columns, or measures, or use Fabric Copilot to not only write DAX queries but explain DAX queries, functions, or topics. DAX queries work on semantic models in import, DirectQuery, and Direct Lake storage mode.

Write permission, that is permission to make changes to the semantic model, is currently needed to write DAX queries in the web. And, the workspace setting, User can edit data models in the Power BI service (preview), needs to be enabled.

DAX query view in the web includes DAX query view’s way to author measures. Define measures with references, edit any of them, and try out changes across multiple measures by running the DAX query, then update the model with all the changes in a single click of a button. DAX query view in web brings this functionality for the first time to semantic models in Direct Lake mode!

If you do not have write permission, you can still live connect to the semantic model in Power BI Desktop and run DAX queries there.

Try out DAX query view in web today and learn more about how DAX queries can help you in Power BI and Fabric.

We are excited to announce that the Narrative visual with Copilot is available for user owns data scenarios (SaaS) and secure embed. This means when a user embeds a report containing the narrative visual in a solution where users must sign in – they will now be able to the visual refresh with their data. The first step on our Copilot embed journey!

When you embed a Power BI report in an application in the “embed for your organization” scenario, it allows organizations to integrate rich, interactive data visualizations seamlessly into their internal tools and workflows. Now this solution supports the Copilot visual. A sales team might want to embed a Power BI report in their internal CRM application to streamline their workflow. By integrating sales performance dashboards directly into the CRM, team members can easily monitor key metrics like monthly sales targets, pipeline status, and individual performance, without switching between different tools. This integration enables quicker access to actionable insights, helping the team make informed decisions, identify trends, and react swiftly to market changes, all within the secure environment of their organization’s data infrastructure.

Supported Scenarios:

Unsupported Scenario:

Slice to Spice: Transform your Pie Chart by Clicking! Dive deeper with a click, creating a new pie!

Pie of Pie by JTA – a Data Scientist’s Visualization Tool

Slice, Click, Reveal: Explore Deeper Insights with Our Interactive Pie Chart Visual for Power BI!

Overview

A Power BI custom visual that enables the creation of a hierarchical representation within a Pie Chart. With a simple click, you can effortlessly delve into detailed categories, offering a seamless and visually intuitive way to unveil multi-level insights in a single view.

Experience the convenience of interactive data analysis, where each slice of the initial pie chart acts as a gateway to deeper layers of information. Whether you’re dissecting population demographics, dissecting sales performance, or analysing product distribution, Pie of Pie offers a seamless and visually intuitive solution.

Key Features:

• Interactive hierarchical representation within a Pie Chart: Dive into detailed categories with ease, exploring multi-level insights seamlessly.
• Effortlessly explore multi-level insights with a single click: Click on a slice to reveal deeper layers of information, enhancing your data analysis experience.
• Customizable colours, labels, and legend: Tailor the visual to match your branding or personal preferences, ensuring clarity and consistency in your reports.
• Choose where to display always both pies and just show the second upon click: Optimize your visual presentation by selecting the most suitable display mode for your data storytelling needs.
• Animate the visual: Bring your data to life with smooth animations, captivating your audience and enhancing engagement with your insights.
• Personalize the spacing: Fine-tune the spacing between elements to achieve the perfect balance of aesthetics and readability in your visualizations.

Everyone knows what a pie chart is – for centuries, it has been the most popular way to visualize data. But what makes Drill Down Pie PRO special is the incredible amount of flexibility it offers to creators. Enjoy a wide range of customization features (colors, fonts, legends, labels, and more), create up to nine levels of drill down hierarchy, and declutter the chart with an interactive ‘Others’ slice that users can expand with just a click.

What’s more, this visual can be more than just a pie chart – it can be an interactive navigation tool for the entire report. When the user selects a slice or drills down, it will cross-filter other visuals on the report, instantly revealing focused insights. Create faster, more intuitive, and more insightful reports with ZoomCharts!

Main Features:

• On-chart drill down
• Cross-chart filtering
• Up to 9 levels of hierarchy
• Adjustable ‘Others’ slice
• Color, label, and legend customization
• Custom tooltip fields
• Touch support

Hierarchical bar chart displays hierarchical data (different fields having parent/child relationship) in the form a bar/column chart with +/- signs to view/hide details or child elements.

A new feature was added to the visual in Jun 24 whereby the users can display CAGR between the 2 values by clicking the bars one after another (after turning on “CAGR” from format pane).

This visual has the following key features.

1) Expand/ Collapse bars using (+/-) buttons

2) Show variance between bars

3) Show CAGR between bars

4) Drag the bars for custom sorting

5) Click on legends to drill down/up to any level

6) Show targets

Watch a demo of these features in short video below