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banderztadt
Regular Visitor

Dynamic image from a shared network path

Hello,

 

I believe I have a unique case here and I would really appreciate some help with it. 

 

I have a folder path on a shared network drive in my organization that contains an image. This image is overwritten and updated often, and I would like my Power BI report to show this dynamic image. 

 

My idea was to create a scheduled Power Automate flow using File System operation to update this file to SharePoint/OneDrive. The flow would overwrite the image in SharePoint with the one in the network drive. Then I could use the URL of the file to display it on the Power BI report.

  • I need a gateway connection to the root folder path in Power Automate, correct?
  • Do I need a gateway to connect to SharePoint to display the image in Power BI?

 

Is there a better way to do this?

 

I am stumped on this one and appreciate any guidance!

 

Thanks,

B

 

5 REPLIES 5
banderztadt
Regular Visitor

How do I create an image visual that will update on each refresh of the report?

 

banderztadt
Regular Visitor

I am able to "Get data > File" and insert this as a new data source. In Power Query Editor I can see a column named "Content" with the image data. Also, I can transform that to text, then display the tiny limited image. It BLOWS my mind that I cant have Power Automate refresh the contents of the image file on the shared network drive, and SIMPLY display it in Power BI. SO overlooked in the design.

banderztadt
Regular Visitor

I cannot create an Image visual in Power BI that references a shared drive location.

banderztadt
Regular Visitor

I am in the works of a gateway. I will update if @danextian is correct if this is possible. Thanks for the help!

danextian
Super User
Super User

Hi @banderztadt ,

I'm not a Power Automate expert but if the data sources are on-prem then you'll need a gateway to bridge the data and Sharepoint, etc.  If that is Sharepoint in the cloud, there is no need for a gateway for Power BI to be able to refresh the data in the service.





Dane Belarmino | Microsoft MVP | Proud to be a Super User!

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