Dynamic change visual data source and dimensions

[gwolff]

Coming from a competitor product and new Power BI.

I allow my web-based end-users to build visuals and save them dynamically. Basically, I control the data, and a number of tabs and visuals, but if they cannot find what they are looking for, then I allow my users to go to a custom tab per visual type (one for a bar chart, one for a scatter plot, etc.). I then let them choose the data table (already loaded into the analysis). Next, I have a DB that tells them what columns exist, and let them build the dimensions (x-Axis, y-Axist, Color By, etc.) The visual dynamically changes as they make their selections.

Is this possible in Power BI?

I also allow my users, once 'happy' with what they developed, to save the AdHoc visual they just created. It will be saved with their team, and should be retreivable. I also allow them to share it with other teams, as long as the other teams have the same data table (different data) available.

Thank you!

[RebSund]

In case anyone out there is still hitting this thread looking for how end users can choose their own dimensions on a ready-set graph, the answer today is the "Personlize Visuals" feature.

Let users personalize visuals in a report - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

[Greg_Deckler]

Out of curiousity, what competitor?

So, in the Service, you can have published data models and users can go in and choose any visualization and put any dimensions/numbers in it that they want. They can then pin this visual to a dashboard that is shared with a team. Not sure if this is what you are trying to describe or not.

[gwolff]

We are considering switching from Spotfire to Power BI.

To try to clarify more of the solution we currently have (1-5 are not specific to the current senario):

1. We have a template Analysis with 50+ tabs, about 2-3 visuals per tab, using about 20 data sources.

2. We have a configuration component where a team is responsible for mapping their data into the 20 datasources we have. The data sources follow a certain standard, but there are some differences, and mapping is required for those.

3. The Template will then apply the team specific mappings, reading the data from the different teams.

4. All data is then embedded in the Team specific version.

5. Teams can then access their Analysis via an interface that manages what tabs they see, etc.

6. Users can navigate to one of 5 Ad-Hoc visualization tabs (Bar Chart, Scatter Plot, Box Plot, List and Cross Table)

7. Within the Ad-Hoc tab, the user then may select one of the 20 domains (data sources) that are loaded for their study.

8. The user then may select what variables from the selected domain that they want in the different dimensions Dimensions (x-Axis, y-Axis, Color, Value (including aggregation method), etc.) for the visual. As the user selects the dimensions, the visual is updated to reflect those selection. (We use some scripting to populate variables, that then are used inside of the visualizations.)

9. If the user wants to save that Ad-Hoc visualization, they may do so by giving it a name, etc.

10. Saved Ad-Hoc visualizations may be retried later

11. (outside of this particular problem), the application overall allows the user to select what they want in a dimension on other tabs as well, via drop-down choices with pre-configured values. For example, they may want the results rolled up to County, or may want to see it at a Country/Region or Country/Region/City level.

As stated, I'm brand new to Power BI. So I'll have to do a lot of learning for all of this. But before I spend a lot of time doing that, I need to be able to know that we can do all of this.

Thanks for the help!