Microsoft Power BI – new “On-object” feature

Today we’ll be looking at the new Power BI On-object feature.  It comes with a learning curve, so let’s hope that this blog will help you navigate the feature.  Microsoft Power BI’s new “On-object” feature enhances the data visualization experience by allowing users to edit and add to visuals directly from the selected visualization. This update includes a new format and data panes and along with an updated visuals gallery that can be found in both the Home and Insert Ribbons.

Power BI on object feature

Enabling the Power BI On-object feature

In order for you to use the “On-object” feature you first have to enable the preview feature by going to File > Options and settings > Options > Preview Features > On-object interaction.

Once the feature is enabled the users can begin using the feature to easily edit and customize their visuals.

Building a visual

There are 3 ways to build the visual in Power BI and they are as follows:

1. Dragging field option

You can drag the field from the data pane onto the canvas. Alternatively, you could check the field.

After which a default visual will be created based on the data type.

2. Ribbon gallery option

Select the Home or Insert ribbon > then select the visual from the gallery.

Add fields to the visual by clicking on “+Add data” in the On-Object Pop-up menu that appears.

3. Right-clicking canvas option

Right-click directly on the canvas and select “add visual.”

Changing the visual “On-object”

When building a visual, Power BI adds a default visual based on the data type, this means you can edit the visual type by accessing the “build a visual” button and selecting the visual from the gallery.  You could also switch the “automatic suggestions” toggle on or off.  The Power BI On-object feature makes is easier because you have everything right next to the visual.

 

Customizing a Visual “On-object”

How to Add or remove elements from the visual:

  1. Select the “Add to your visual” button on the side of the selected visual.
  2. The “Add to your visual” menu appears.
  3. Check/Uncheck the elements to add/remove.

Formatting a visual “On-object”

In Power BI, the visuals are often interactive, to avoid conflicting with this standard behavior, format options for the visual need to be switched on/off.

Format mode

To switch on “format mode”:

  1. Double-click the visual OR right-click> Format
  2. You will see a blue border will appear around the visual and the formatting pane will be active.
  3. The visual and all sub-components of the visual can now be formatted. As each sub-component is selected the Format pane dynamically switches to show format options for the selected part.
  4. Titles and labels can also be entered directly on the visual by selecting the component to be edited. Once you click away or enter you commit to your changes.
  5. You then click off the visual to switch off “format mode”.

Format Pane

The Format pane launches once a visual has been placed in format mode and so it will then remain visible in the report and you can toggle between the data pane and the formatting pane by selecting the respective icons from the “pane switcher” on the right side of the data/format panes.

Format Pane

The formatting pane can also be switched on by selecting “more options” from the “Add to your visual” menu.

Microsoft Power BI update March 2023.

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