Forum Discussion
Super UserHow to not remove Layout Diagram pbip project
Hi jaryszek,
Thank you for the follow-up question.
Yes, the report built on top of the newly created semantic model will see the data changes, as long as the semantic model itself is refreshed or reading updated data (for example via DirectLake/OneLake). From a data perspective, everything works as expected.What changes is only the model identity, not the data behavior. When you create or deploy a new semantic model, reports connected to that model will reflect the latest data, but Power BI treats it as a new model instance. Because of that, editor-specific elements like the model diagram layout don’t carry over, even though the report visuals continue to work normally.
Thanks again for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
Community SupportHi jaryszek,
Thanks for the detailed follow-up, these are good questions.
Git (including .gitignore) unfortunately will not solve this. Git can help you restore diagramLayout.json after it’s removed, but it cannot prevent Power BI from dropping the layout when the semantic model metadata changes. That behaviour happens before Git is even involved.
When I mentioned environments, I was not referring to different semantic models or rebinding reports. I meant different data environments behind One Lake (Dev/Test/Prod data). The idea is to keep the Direct Lake semantic model and Lakehouse constant and only switch the data source behind it using One Lake shortcuts.
Practically, this means creating one Lakehouse that your semantic model always points to, and inside that Lakehouse, using table-level shortcuts. When you need to move between environments, you update where the shortcut points (for example, from Dev data to Prod data). From Power BI’s perspective, nothing structural changes same Lakehouse, same tables, same schema so the model isn’t regenerated and the diagram layout is preserved.
At this movement, this is the most reliable approach to reduce layout loss when working with Direct Lake models. There’s currently no supported method to keep the layout fixed if the semantic model is rebound or recreated.
Thank you for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
Community SupportHi jaryszek,
Just checking in to see if the issue has been resolved on your end. If the earlier suggestions helped, that’s great to hear! And if you’re still facing challenges, feel free to share more details happy to assist further.
Thank you.
- v-kpoloju-msft
Hi jaryszek,
Just wanted to follow up. If the shared guidance worked for you, that’s wonderful hopefully it also helps others looking for similar answers. If there’s anything else you'd like to explore or clarify, don’t hesitate to reach out.Thank you.