Can someone please explain why I arbitrarily can't add fields to charts?

[RockandGrohl]

Hi guys

I've had this problem now with several charts, where I attempt to drag & drop a field with valid data in to a chart, and nothing happens - I can't believe there is no kind of error message telling me what I am doing wrong, I don't even get a "Computer says no" - it just gives me no feedback whasoever on why it's unable to do such a simple thing.

Regardless of my moaning, I do actually want to learn why this is, so here's the context.

I have a blank line chart. I'm building this off a 'ComparisonTable' which is a summary of my 'Database' table.

ComparisonTable = 
SUMMARIZE(
    Database,
    Database[Type],
    Database[Cost Heading],
    Database[Cost Group],
    Database[Asset],
    "MinRate", MIN(Database[Rate]),
    "MaxRate", MAX(Database[Rate])
)

So I'm simply looking to get one line per Asset, with the minimum cost rate and the maximum cost rate. Example:

Apple | £0.80 | £1.00

Etc.

So I create a line chart, drag Asset onto the X, then I wish to have two Y-axis series - one for the minimum cost, and one for the maximum. I drag the MinRate into the Y-axis field 1 and nothing happens.

BUT

If I then create an excel table, and summarise the data in *EXACTLY* the same way as the 'ComparisonTable', then link that to a new PowerBI project I can create the table exactly as I need, example below.

Yes, I'm doing a bodge to get a dumbbell chart in.

My overall intention for this dashboard is to have the user import a CSV of products with the quoted price, and have the quoted prices appear on the relevant X-axis against the minimum & the maximum, and in that way the user can measure the quoted price of products against the database of costs.

But for now..

HOW DO I GET THE LINE CHART TO WORK WITH CALCULATED COLUMNS/TABLES, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, HOW DO I GET POWER BI TO TELL ME WHY THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE FOR THIS DATA FIELD?!

Thank you!

[RockandGrohl]

So I actually solved this and it's a genuine bug.

Microsoft added something in for Calculated groups that turn off Enable Implicit Measures.

I did not have at any points any calculated groups. Ever.

I learned that this kills the ability to sum columns etc. Fun, so what I ended up having to do was to go into PowerBI settings, turning on the beta setting to enable calculated groups, and then turning on the Implicit Measures switch. And hey-presto, now columns can be used in graphs.

Absolutely insane. I had to enable a beta feature to turn on a setting that had been turned off, with no ability to re-enable it unless you opted in to a beta setting.