Filled Map

Hi Sean

Well, I thought this issue was solved by uninstalling and then reinstalling Power BI on my PC last night. Unbelievably, when I went back into Power BI desktop tonight, the same issue with the filled map (and map) icons not working properly  for me appeared again. Filled maps that I even saved last night when it was working had also diappeared when I re-opened the .pbix file containing them tonight. This time, I caught the problem on a screen capture below. This is the screen capture I was going to send you on Monday.

I've clicked on the filled map icon first, then checked the Country Name box and I do not get a filled map - just an empty box with Country Name in it. Yet, when I followed the exact same steps last night after uninstalling and reinstalling Power BI Desktop x64, I got a filled map and it worked just fine !

The data file I'm using (below) in this example is a recreation of the file you came up with last night in the example you sent me:

So, I'm back to square one ! Obviosuly, I can't keep uninstalling and re-installing Power BI Desktop every night - that would be ridiculous !!! This issue is driving me nuts !! Something is either not right, or I'm missing something. Sorry to bother you again, but now you can actually see what's happening when I click on the Filled Map icon, then the Country Name field, hopefully you may be able to tell me what's going on here. As such any further thoughts or ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

Paul

Look in FIELDS => there are no globe icons next to the Country and Country Name fields

Go to Modeling Tab => Data Category and select Country/Region

Also USA is spelled wrong in your table under Country Name - Uinted States

It actually works even with a typo and without setting Data Category to Country/Region

So I'm all out of ideas???

Already tried that. It doesn't make any difference if I change the category to Country/Region and a globe icon comes up. the map worked fine the other night after the re-install with the field set to uncategorized.

Agreed, as this is the same file I used when the filled map last worked. I actually didn't notice that typo !

Fair enough if you're all out of ideas ! You've certainly done everything you can to help me - appreciate it.

I think I'll have to refer this one to the Power BI Dev team. It's weird - it's as if something is preventing the map and filled map icons from working - all the other icons work just fine. What that is, is the $64 question.

Sorry Sean - one other thing. Can you send me the EXACT steps you go through when in Power BI Desktop using the file that generates the map below ? Just in case I'm missing something here.

Hi Sean

Is there any chance that you've got to be connected to the internet for either Filled Map or Map to work ? The reason I ask is because when I'm connected to the internet, they work fine and no maps that were previosuly saved disappear. However, when I'm not connected to the internet, they don't work (as per the screenshot I sent you last night) and if maps were saved previously, they disappear. I think this is what is causing the issue I'm experiencing with these two map icons !

That said, I haven't read in any documentation on Power BI Desktop or any book on it, that you need to be connected to the internet to use these two map icons in Power BI Desktop. I would have thought that if that was a prerequisite that the authors of such documentation would have stated that.

I guess it kind of makes sense that if these maps are working off Bing geocoding, you would need to be connected to the internet. I can undersstand that being the case for Power BI.com, but I'm wondering why that would be the case for Power BI Desktop, given it is a standalone application.

It would be nice if these two maps just worked in Power Bi Desktop without having to be connected to the internet !

Regards

Paul

Yes, unless I am very much mistaken, you need to be connected to the Internet in Desktop for the maps to work. The reason, as you stated, is because Bing maps is used for the geocoding. Otherwise, the Desktop would need to store all of that geocoding data locally and that would be a lot of information, think every country, county, city, etc. in the entire world. Plus, all of the logic for geocoding the data would need to be duplicated in the app. Basically reinventing the wheel when a perfectly wheel already exists. This is the new Cloud first, Mobile first world, the days of wholly contained, local applications is over.

I can't even imagine not being connected at all times - regardless of device and location!

Hi Sean

Well, at least I finally figured it out ! Seems obvious looking back now that the reason for the 'blank' map was because I was not connected to the interenet ! I don't want to be connected at all times when using Power BI Desktop. If I wanted to do that (and use maps) I'd use PowerBi.com instead ! 

Paul

Ineed you do need to be connected to the internet for Desktop maps to work - I'm glad I finally figured that out - seems obvious now ! That said, I don't want to be connected to the interent when using Power BI Desktop. To me, that defeats the purpose of it being a desktop (standalone application). If I want to be connected to the internet all the time (and know the maps will therefore work), I'd use PowerBi.com instead. 

If the days of wholly contained local applications are over, why have Power BI Desktop at all ? If, as you've said, this is the new cloud first, mobile first world, we may as well just have PowerBI.com and be done with it.

The fact that Power BI Desktop and Power BI.com are not functionally balanced (Quick Insights would be a good example), is both puzzling and confusing. Why on earth would a fantastic feature like Quick Insights be in PowerBI.com and not Power BI Desktop ?

Hi Paul,

the target group that MS had in mind for PBI Desktop are the designers of the reports: Power Users who are able to work with M and DAX to create reports that are going to be consumed by other people and be regularly refreshed.

PBI.com is designed to be the report-consumers platform. In order to give them some more capabilities once their appetite for the data grows, the Quick Insight feature is offered where new reports are generated without the need to use M or DAX.

Agree that Quick Insight would also help developers on the PBI Desktop platform to create some useful reports more quickly.

Hi Paul, I agree with you about the differences in PBI Desktop and Service.

That said unfortunately the days of standalone desktop applications are over!

All software companies now want the predictability of monthly subscriptions - granted they were pushed there by their investors who want to see predictable cash flow so they can in theory at least value the companies better.

If you stop your monthly subscription to Office the functionality of all programs gets diminished so you can basically only open your files. I'm sure with the wide adoption of PBI the same will be true for PBI Desktop. It's the classic bait and switch. We are in the new age of Software as service at monthly subscription - you only have access to the fully functional software as long as you pay your monthly fee, Unfortunately it's the same with Adobe now.

Anyway, I didn't like it at first either but I'm getting used to it - hence I jokingly say we need to be plugged in all the time

Hi Imke

Thanks for your thoughts on these issues. I'm very quickly learining that PBI Desktop is not really a standalone or desktop product, even though it is called that. Rather, it would appear to be a downloadable production environment for Power BI (pretty much what you have described below). Pehaps MS should have called PBI Desktop PBI Studio instead !

To be honest, until your quite clear explanation of the target groups that MS has in mind for both PBI Desktop and PBI.com, I have found the messaging around these two products to be confusing to say the least. A detailed MS feature by feature comparison of PBI Desktop vs PBI.com would be most useful.

I truly believe adding Quick Insights to PBI Desktop would a fantastic addition to that product from a developers point of view and for that reason, do not believe that it should only be available in the reporting and consumer platfrom of PBI.com.

I have not however, as yet been able to convince the Power BI Team at MS reagrding this. As such, if someone has not already put a 'Quick Insights in PBI Desktop' issue on the Power BI suggestions page, I will add it. If the issue is already there, I will vote for it !

Paul

Hi Sean

As I just mentioned in my post to Imke, it would be really nice to have an MS feature by feature comparison of PBI Desktop vs PBI.com - that would clear up a lot of questions for me. I've also since realised that PBI Desktop is effectively a downloadable production environment, so I'm wondering why it is called PBI Desktop ??!! Desktop imples standalone right ?!! Confusing ? You bet ! I reckon MS should call it PBI Studio instead !!

Totally agree with you on the subscription thing - every software company is doing it and it's all about the guaranteed monthly cash flow that it generates. I'll never like it, but I'll just have to live with if I'm going to continue to use these products.

Paul

Paulx99 I just responded to a post about Maps in the Service Forum you may find interesting

http://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Filled-Map-visualization-not-working-in-web-app/m-p/25139#U25139

Thanks Sean. How ironic that someone should be having a problem with maps not working in PBI.com, which you definately have to be connected to the internet to use !  Hope you wer eable to help them. Paul.