Power BI Weekly

Issue 371

18^th August 2026

Sara Lammini Rodriguez has announced that Power BI Desktop can now edit Power BI projects anywhere and reload them instantly, automatically detecting changes made in VS Code or other external tools and prompting you to apply them without a restart. Sticking with that developer workflow theme, Philipp Lenz has shown how to partition Power BI data models with TMDL directly in Desktop or the online portal, using parameterised scripts to avoid downloading the model or recreating partitions after every deployment.

Elsewhere this week, Bas Dohmen has put together a video walkthrough of an advanced Power BI scenario analysis chart - as ever, showing some deep knowledge in how to bend Power BI visuals to your will! And finally, Valerie Junk has shown how to build a custom info button with a tooltip in Power BI, pairing a card visual with a DAX measure and a tooltip page to work around the lack of a native option.

Data Prep

• Power BI Storage Modes: Import vs DirectQuery vs Direct Lake — Which One Should You Use?
  This video compares Power BI's Import, DirectQuery, and Direct Lake storage modes focusing on performance, data freshness, refresh requirements, scalability, modeling flexibility, and optimal use cases to guide your choice.

Data Modeling

• Optimising DAX: Data Materialisation
  Data materialisation in DAX occurs when the storage engine cannot preprocess data efficiently, leading to slow queries due to costly reconstruction, decompression, and poor memory utilization of entire tables by the formula engine.
• Optimising DAX: Practical Examples
  The article shows how using bitmap filters instead of table scans can greatly boost DAX performance while offering tips to avoid duplicate data evaluations and reduce slicer impacts.
• From Filter Context to Reusable Logic: DAX UDFs in Action
  DAX user-defined functions (UDFs) enable analysts to encapsulate reusable logic for complex calculations, simplifying the management of filter contexts when comparing metrics across multiple courses.
• How to Build a KPI Table in Power BI
  Building a KPI table in Power BI involves loading raw project data, creating a dynamic date dimension for accurate timelines, and using Power Query to unpivot metrics into a dedicated KPI table enabling smooth dashboard design.

Report Authoring and Interactivity

• Edit your Power BI projects anywhere and reload them instantly in Power BI Desktop (Preview)
  Power BI Desktop now automatically reloads project file changes made in code editors or external tools, streamlining workflows.
• Can Power BI Sentence Tooltips ELIMINATE User Confusion?
  Power BI’s dynamic sentence tooltips, built with DAX and context-aware logic, automatically explain visual data to users, enhancing comprehension without cluttering reports.
• Create an Info Button that shows a Tooltip in Power BI!
  Power BI card visuals serve as custom info icons when paired with DAX measures and tooltip pages to overcome native limitations.
• Power BI Tooltips (2026) - From Beginner to Expert
  Discover the nuances of Power BI tooltips in 2026, including default usage, sentence formats, report pages applications, and when to employ help tooltips for enhanced data visualization.
• I Built a Next-Level Power BI Line Chart with GitHub Copilot
  The video shows GitHub Copilot helping Edward Charles create a customized Power BI line chart visual with downloadable resources.
• Why Is the X Axis Blank in Power BI When the Y Axis Has Data?
  This Power BI video explains why the X-Axis may be blank while the Y-Axis shows data, covering relationship issues, visual settings, and step-by-step fixes with a practical example.
• Displaying The Output Of Detail Rows Expressions In Power BI Reports Using The Paginated Report Visual
  This guide shows how to display Detail Rows Expression outputs in Power BI paginated reports using datasets, parameters, and a drillthrough dataset similar to Excel's feature with Power BI Report Builder.
• How Far Can You Push a Power BI Card Visual?
  Learn to use AI and Claude in Power BI for creating advanced card visuals with dynamic metrics, colors, sparklines, and top product insights, along with essential best practices for validating AI-generated code.
• How to Create a Date Picker Slicer in Power BI
  The new Date Picker Slicer in Power BI’s July 2026 update lets users select custom date ranges with calendar-style interaction, relative dates, and date offsets for more intuitive report filtering.
• Skills for Power BI Report Authoring | Fabric Insider Ep. 15
  Harleen Kaur explains how the three separate Skills for Report Authoring in Power BI work together with AI agents and MCP Servers, demonstrating their integration through a live demo.
• The Ultimate Power BI Scenario Analysis Chart
  The video showcases an advanced Power BI scenario analysis chart to aid users in mastering report design in the AI era, along with a link to a 4-week transformation program and downloadable resources.
• Power BI Desktop Bridge: How Claude Controls Power BI Desktop
  The Power BI Desktop Bridge enables AI agents to directly reload reports, capture screenshots, and close the feedback loop for seamless integration of model-generated content with manual adjustments, boosting productivity.
• Power BI Pop Up Filter Panel: Build a Slide-Out Filter Menu
  Building a Power BI pop-up filter panel from scratch lets you keep the report functional by saving canvas space while offering users an unobtrusive, designed filtering experience.
• Power BI Background SVG: From Prompt to Finished Canvas
  Creating a Power BI background SVG with an AI model provides precise control over layout elements such as card shapes and headers, avoiding soft edges and inconsistent spacing found in image-generated backgrounds.
• Power BI Report Authoring Skill: Microsoft Skills for Fabric
  The Skills for Fabric course enables AI assistants to create, edit, and validate Power BI reports in PBIR format using a free MIT-licensed toolchain.

Deployment, Security and Operations

• Automating OSM Data Refresh in Power BI’s Azure Maps Reference Layer
  Automating OSM data refresh in Power BI’s Azure Maps reference layer involves using a static geoJSON file hosted with CORS and correct MIME settings, then scheduling background updates to keep the map current without manual uploads.
• Sharing Power BI Reports | Links, Permissions & Access Control
  This tutorial covers best practices for sharing Power BI reports including direct links, permissions, access control, and avoiding compliance pitfalls.
• Partitioning Power BI data models with TMDL
  Power BI enables direct creation and modification of partitions via TMDL in both Desktop and online portals, removing the need for model downloads or partition recreation post-deployments, thus streamlining processes through parameterized scripts in CI/CD pipelines.

General

• Connect M365 Copilot to Power BI — No-Code Fabric Data Agent for Business Users
  This video shows how to link M365 Copilot with Power BI via a no-code Fabric Data Agent, allowing non-technical users to inquire about data naturally within M365 applications.
• Beyond the Fire Perimeter: Monitoring Canadian Wildfires in Power BI
  The article shows how to use Power BI with Icon Map to visualize and analyze Canadian wildfire data using agency reports, H3 grid aggregation, satellite perimeter estimates, animated maps, and exposure metrics.
• Crawl, Walk, Run with AI in PBI – Ep.553
  Meagan Longoria’s five-stage AI maturity model for Power BI helps teams decide whether to begin with an MCP server or a chatbot, sparking debate between the hosts.