The ArcGIS for Power BI visualization can be used as a resource to display data within its spatial context. With analysis tools, a map can also be used to create information about the patterns and relationships between different data points and between different layers. These tools can also be used to enhance the visual context provided by the map with quantitative measurements. Analysis tools can answer questions that you can't answer by just by looking at a map visualization, helping you make more informed decisions about the data.
In ArcGIS for Power BI analysis tools can be used to measure travel times or distances around or between features, identify spatial relationships to find similar features or associate data between multiple layers, or display information about the area you're viewing.
Access analysis tools
To access and use analysis tools in ArcGIS for Power BI, complete the following steps:
- Confirm that you are signed in to your ArcGIS Online account and that you have the required privileges to perform analysis.
- From the map tools, click Analysis
.The analysis tools appear.
- Select the tool to use.
Available analysis tools
The analysis tools are described in the following table:
| Tool name | Description |
|---|---|
Measure | Use the Measure tool to measure a linear distance or an area and its perimeter on a map. |
Buffer/Drive time | Use the Buffer/Drive time tool to calculate the time or distance between locations based on parameters such as travel mode, situational traffic, and other variables. |
Information | Information cards are visualizations that provide contextual information about an ArcGIS for Microsoft map and update when you select features on the map. |
Join layer | Use the Join layer tool to create a link between attributes in the data and a layer added from ArcGIS. The joined layer can then be connected to other Microsoft Power BI visualizations. |
Find similar | Use the Find similar tool to quickly identify the top 10 locations with attributes comparable to locations currently selected on the map and create a nonpersistent layer in the map containing those locations. |
Additional tools that support analysis
Outside of the Analysis tool pane, there are several tools in ArcGIS for Power BI that can support the interpretation of spatial data. These include the Selection tool, which allows you to select a subset of features to use in some of the analysis tools described above, and the Time animation toolbar, which appears when you add time-enabled data to a map. These tools are described below.
| Tool name | Description |
|---|---|
Selection | Use the Selection tool to identify, locate, and visually analyze a set of features or data on the map. Some analysis tools have a collapsed Selection tool prompt |
Time animation | Use Time animation to configure the way time-aware data appears on the map. To add a time animation, the data used to create the map layer must include date and time information. |
