Angelica Choo Quan, a trainer at Pragmatic Works, walks viewers through the latest updates in Power BI's preview feature for object interaction. She explains how the visualization experience has changed and provides practical guidance on managing panes and creating bookmarks for reports.
Understanding the Object Interaction Update
After enabling object interaction in Power BI's preview features, users may notice the visualization pane has moved. Angelica explains how to locate and restore the familiar Build a Visual pane and use it efficiently:
- Open the View tab to see available panes.
- Enable the new Pane Switcher to manage which panes are visible.
- Move or collapse panes as preferred, including the Build a Visual pane.
- The update allows for multiple panes to be open simultaneously for enhanced workflow.
Setting Up the Pane Switcher
The Pane Switcher simplifies report building by letting users choose which panes are active whenever a new report opens. Key steps include:
- Click the plus sign in the Pane Switcher to select panes.
- Recommended panes to enable: Data Pane, Format Pane, and Build a Visual Pane.
- Right-click to open multiple panes or collapse panes without removing them from the switcher.
Adding and Managing Bookmarks
Angelica demonstrates creating bookmarks to filter and view data dynamically. Using a sales report from the AdventureWorks dataset, she illustrates how to organize bookmarks by region:
- Create bookmarks for North America, Europe, and Australia by selecting relevant filters and adding bookmarks.
- Include an "All Countries" bookmark to reset filters.
- Rename bookmarks for easy identification.
Bookmark Buttons with Navigator
After creating bookmarks, Angelica shows how to create interactive buttons for easy navigation:
- Go to Insert > Buttons > Bookmark Navigator to add buttons.
- Adjust layout orientation (horizontal or vertical) and resize buttons.
- Modify styles, shapes, and text to match report aesthetics.
- Customize button states, including hover effects for interactive visuals.
Practical Tips and Workflow Enhancements
- Users can directly interact with visuals to access Build a Visual settings.
- Bookmark buttons streamline report navigation for end users.
- The new features improve workflow efficiency, reducing repetitive steps like manually opening panes for each report.
- Object interaction is still in preview but expected to reach general availability soon.
Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power BI and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.