Manage map visualization and data settings

Note:

Some workflows may require specific privileges. For more information about user types, roles, and privileges, see the Accounts topic.

You can use the Format visual and Build visual options in Power BI to manage how you interact with the ArcGIS for Power BI map and your data. See Data and geocoding to learn about setting up your data before adding maps and layers.

Format the ArcGIS for Power BI map visualization

To customize map visualization options in ArcGIS for Power BI, complete the following steps:

1. Click the ArcGIS for Power BI visualization to select it.
2. Click the Visualizations > Format visual > Visual tab to display the ArcGIS for Power BI options.

   

3. Optionally, do any of the following:
   • Expand the Layers category to manage the layers that compose the map.
   • Expand the Map tools category to update the map tools settings.
   • Expand the Search category to update the search settings.
   • Expand the Feature information category to update the feature information pane options.
4. When you complete your configuration, click the Build visual tab to continue working with the ArcGIS for Power BI map.

Note:

For each category, click Reset to default to discard your changes and return to the default settings.

Visual tab options

In the Format visual pane, expand any of the categories to update the settings.

The following categories and options are available from the Format visual pane:

Category	Function	Description
Layers	Show layers	The Layers tool is shown in the map tools by default. Turn off the Show layers toggle button to hide the Layers tool from the map tools.
Map tools	Zoom tools	The Zoom in and Zoom out tools are not shown on the map by default. Turn on the Zoom tools toggle button to display the Zoom in and Zoom out tools on the map. When hidden, you can use the mouse and keyboard commands to navigate the map.
	Basemaps	The Basemaps tool is shown in the map tools by default. Turn off the Basemaps toggle button to hide the Basemaps tool from the map tools.
	Lock extent	The Lock extent function is turned off by default. Turn on the Lock extent toggle button to keep the map extent at the current zoom level. This prevents Automatic Zoom from changing the extent as you navigate the map with your keyboard or mouse.
Search	Search	The Search tool is shown in the map tools by default. Turn off the Search toggle button to hide the Search tool from the map tools.
Feature information	Enable	The Feature information pane is turned off by default. Turn on the Enable toggle button to display the Feature information pane at the side of the map.
	Position	Select Top, Bottom, Right, or Left from the Position drop-down menu to specify the position of the Feature information pane relative to the map.

General formatting options

To customize general map layout and formatting options, complete the following steps:

1. Click the ArcGIS for Power BI visualization to select it.
2. Click the Visualizations > Format visual > General tab to display the ArcGIS for Power BI options.
3. Optionally, do any of the following:
   • Expand the Properties section to customize how the map is shown within the report layout.
   • Expand the Title section to customize the map's title settings, such as font and size.
   • Expand the Effects section to customize the map's background within the report layout.
   • Click Header icons to turn on the header icons feature.
   • Expand the Tooltips section to customize tooltip settings.
   • Expand the Alt text section to enter a description about your map visualization used by screen readers.

   For detailed information about standard Microsoft Power BI formatting options, see the Microsoft Get started formatting report visualizations article.

Add data to the Build visual pane

Drag data from your report into the ArcGIS for Power BI Visualizations > Build visual pane to add data to the map. The type of data that you add (categorical, numeric, temporal, and so on) and the field well that you place it in customizes how the data is rendered.

For example, you can place numeric data into the Size, Color, Tooltips, Join layer, and Find similar field well. Each field well renders the same data differently on your map.

The following field wells are available on the Build visual pane:

Field well	Description
Location	Drag location-based values from the Data pane to this field well to display locations on the map.
Latitude (Y)	Drag a latitude (y) value into this field well to define a latitude map coordinate. If you use this option, you must also specify the corresponding longitude (x) value.
Longitude (X)	Drag a longitude (x) value into this field well to define a longitude map coordinate. If you use this option, you must also specify the corresponding latitude (y) value.
Size	Add numeric values to the Size field well to draw locations on the map according to their size. For example, if the map shows stores by location, drag a profit field into the Size field well; the map automatically renders symbols for each store in proportional sizes according to profit value. See Symbol types for more information about how to present data using this field well.
Color	Add numeric data to the Color field well to distinguish locations on the map based on a color ramp. For example, a light-to-dark color ramp can show low-to-high data values such as revenue or income. You can also add categorical data to show locations by color. For example, use different colors to represent customer language preferences. See Symbol types for more information about how to present data using this field well.
Size and Color	Alternatively, choose two attributes from the data to define both the Size and Color values of point symbols on the map. You can also use the same attribute twice: to set both the size and the color of the symbols based on the data you want to emphasize. This is useful to show count information, such as the number of female single-parent households, shaded by a rate, such as the rate of female single-parent households. Tip: You can style the data by size, by color, and by size and color using the Symbol types and Style settings.
Time	Drag temporal data (date, time, or date and time) into this field well to animate locations on the map according to the time periods in your dataset. This option is often used with weather and climate maps, sales data over time, traffic data, and other temporally affected datasets. See Time-aware data for more information.
Tooltips	Drag categorical or numeric data into this field well to add information to the tooltips shown for locations on the map. You can drag multiple values into this field well or drag the same value multiple times and apply a different aggregation method. For example, drag a numeric field into this field well three times and calculate the sum for one, the average for another, and the minimum for the third. Each of the fields appear in the tooltip with the appropriate label and value. When you hover over a location on the map, the tooltip appears, displaying information specific to that location. Note: Tooltips appear in the order that you add them to the field well.
Join layer	Link data attributes from Power BI to those from a layer added from ArcGIS to provide greater insight into the data. Join the data layer and the reference layer by linking common attributes in each dataset in the Join layer field well. To use this option, the data must include attributes that align with attributes from the ArcGIS layer (numbers to numbers, strings to strings, and so on). You can join up to five attributes. See Join layers for more information.
Find similar	Drag up to five data fields into this field well to identify the top 10 locations with attributes comparable to locations selected on the map. See Find similar locations for more information.
Drill through	Allow other Power BI visualizations to access the map. Turn on the Cross-report toggle button to use the map as a drill through destination. Turn on the Keep all filters toggle button to allow drill through to the report for all data or add specific content to this field well to select only the data that has drill through permissions. For more information, see Add drill through and the Microsoft Set up drillthrough in Power BI reports article.