How to create a Skyscraper Map with Azure Maps in Power BI (Bar Chart Map)

Skyscraper Map in Power BI, aka. bar chart map, or bar chart on a map
Skyscraper Map in Power BI, aka. bar chart map, or bar chart on a map

Have you ever seen a bar chart on a map?

I prefer to call this visualization a skyscraper map because you can picture these bars on a map as skyscrapers.

You can use a skyscraper map for displaying geodata along values. The skyscraper map is a combination of a map with locations and a bar chart. The location can represent a city, a country, or some other type of place. As with a bar chart, the height or volume of each bar is proportional to the values it represents.

How to create a Skyscraper Map with Azure Maps in Power BI

First, you need to make sure that the Azure Maps preview feature is enabled in Power BI to create a skyscraper map. This tutorial is based on the Retail Analysis Sample dataset.

1    Click on the Azure Map icon of the Visualization pane.

2 Extend the filled map visual by dragging the lower right corner

3  Select PostalCode from the Fields Plane.

Power BI assigned Country to the Location field.

4  Select TotalSales from the Fields Plane.

Power BI assigned Sales to the Bubble size field.

5    Click on the Format your Visual section.

6          Disable the Bubble layer switch

7          Enable the Bar chart layer switch

8 Expand the Bar chart layer pane

9 Expand the Size pane

10  Select 4 px for Height

11  Select 3 px for Width

You created a skyscraper map that shows sales by zip codes in your data set. Download the PBIX file.

How to enable Power BI’s Preview Features, such as Azure Maps

Some exciting new features in Power BI are not enabled by default. These functions are so-called preview features whose development or testing is not yet completely finished. For certain use cases, such as creating Skyscraper Maps in Power BI, it may be worthwhile to activate them.

In the following blog posts, we will check out some capabilities of the Azure Maps feature. Therefore, let’s see how you can enable Azure Maps, and other preview features, in Power BI.

1    Click on File in Power BI’s menu bar.

2    Click on Options and settings

3    Click on Options

4  Select Preview Features from the lefthand list.

5          Enable Azure map visual

6          Confirm your changes with the OK button

Power BI might ask you to restart the application in order to change the preview features settings. Now you’re good to go to create your Skyscraper Map with the Azure Maps feature!

Which preview features is Power BI offering?

While the preview features change over time, currently you can enable the following preview features in Power BI:

  • Shape map visual
  • Spanish language support for Q&A
  • Q&A for live connected Analysis Services databases
  • Azure map visual
  • DirectQuery for PBI datasets and AS
  • Modern visual tooltips
  • Power Bl Desktop infrastructure update
  • Web page connector infrastructure
  • Modify visuals settings for mobile layout
  • Sparklines
  • Scorecard visual
  • Field parameters

 

Meetup #19 – Chart Choice & Anomaly Detection for Warranty Cases

Dilyana's session: Chart Choice - many ways to visualize data
Dilyana’s session: Chart Choice – many ways to visualize data

Recently we had the 19th edition of our Data & AI Meetup. This meetup focused on Chart Choice & Anomaly Detection for Warranty Cases. Let’s have a quick recap!

Agenda:

Meetup discussion: Sven, Alexander, and Shubham
Meetup discussion: Sven, Alexander, and Shubham
  1. Intro & announcements: our 5th anniversary
  2. Chart Choice
    by Dilyana Bossenz, Business Analytics and Enablement Manager at M2.
  3. New Book: Decisively Digital – From Creating a Culture to Designing Strategy
    by Alexander Loth, author & executive advisor at Microsoft
  4. Anomaly Detection for warranty cases with an example of the automotive industry
    by Shubham Agarwal, Lead Data Scientist at ATCS
    and Frank Schlemmbach, Sr. Consultant at ATCS
    and Sven Sommerfeld, Managing Director at ATCS
  5. Wrap-up

Session recording:

Further information:

The next Data & AI Meetup?

The next Data & AI Meetup will be announced on the Data & AI LinkedIn group and on the Data & AI Meetup page. Feel free to join!

If you’ve dreamed of sharing your Data & AI story with many like-minded Data & AI enthusiasts, please submit your session proposal.

Recap of the 17th Data & AI Meetup: Data & AI in Healthcare

Analyzing Medical Images: Detecting Pneumonia with Custom Vision
Analyzing Medical Images: Detecting Pneumonia with Custom Vision AI

Recently we had the 17th edition of our Data & AI Meetup. This meetup focused on Data & AI in Healthcare. Let’s have a quick recap!

Agenda:

16:00 – Willkommen & Intro
16:05 – BI as a Service für eine bessere Healthcare Supply Chain
Christopher Glogger, Sana Einkauf & Logistik
16:35 – AI Trends und Use cases
Andreas Kopp, Microsoft
17:20 – Visuelle Datenanalyse rund um CoViD-19
Markus Raatz, Ceteris AG
17:55 – Wrap up

Session recording:

Further information:

The next Data & AI Meetup?

The next Data & AI Meetup will be announced on the Data & AI LinkedIn group and on the Data & AI Meetup page. Feel free to join!

If you’ve dreamed of sharing your Data & AI story with many like-minded Data & AI enthusiasts, please submit your session proposal.

Recap of the 16th Data & AI Meetup: Azure Bootcamp

Azure Synapse Analytics Screenshot
Azure Synapse Analytics demo shown during the meetup

Yesterday we had the 16th edition of our Data & AI Meetup. This meetup was a hands-on Azure Bootcamp. Let’s have a quick recap!

Agenda:

  1. Welcome & Intro
  2. Azure SQL DB
  3. Azure Data Factory
  4. Azure Synapse Analytics
  5. Visual Analytics with Power BI on Azure

Session recording:

Further information:

The next Data & AI Meetup?

The next Data & AI Meetup will be announced on the Data & AI LinkedIn group and on the Data & AI Meetup page. Feel free to join!

If you’ve dreamed of sharing your Data & AI story with many like-minded Data & AI enthusiasts, please submit your session proposal.