How to replicate existing semantic model in power bi

[Gopal_PV]

Hi Friends,

Quention From Client: I have exisiting semantic model with around 16 tables . In that some table have matching column and some don't have matching columns between the tables.

If i give this model and ask you create another replica of the semantic model .

How do you do this.

Please help me if you any relavant information.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi Gopal_PV,

We would like to follow up and see whether the details we shared have resolved your problem.
If you need any more assistance, please feel free to connect with the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Thankyou, @burakkaragoz, for your response.

Hi Gopal_PV,

We appreciate your query raised through the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

Based on my understanding, to replicate the structure of an existing semantic model including tables, relationships, and DAX logic it is advisable to preserve the metadata and schema without necessarily duplicating the report visuals or raw data. Power BI does not offer a one click option to clone a semantic model across workspaces or files. However, the model’s structure can be extracted and reapplied using external tools such as Tabular Editor or TMDL, or by saving copies of the .pbix file.

Further to the response provided by @burakkaragoz, kindly use Tabular Editor (Free or Pro) to export and reapply the model structure. Please follow the steps given below:

1. Open the original .pbix file in Power BI Desktop.
2. Launch Tabular Editor from the External Tools menu.
3. Use the Save to Folder option, preferably in TMDL format.
4. Create a new blank .pbix file, launch Tabular Editor, and load the saved folder.
5. The new model will have the exact structure, including tables, measures, etc., as in the original.

This method avoids the need to manually recreate relationships, columns, or DAX formulas.

Additionally, please refer to the following links:
Use Tabular Model Definition Language (TMDL) view in Power BI Desktop (preview) - Power BI | Microso...
Overview of Fabric deployment pipelines - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

We hope this information helps you resolve the issue. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[burakkaragoz · Accepted solution]

Hi @Gopal_PV ,

If you're looking to replicate an existing semantic model in Power BI, there are a few ways to approach it depending on what exactly you need to replicate — structure, relationships, measures, or all of it.

Option 1: Use Tabular Editor

If you're working with a dataset in a workspace or a PBIX file, you can use Tabular Editor to export the model metadata and reapply it to a new model. This includes tables, relationships, measures, calculated columns, etc.

Option 2: Use Power BI Desktop

If the model is in a PBIX file:

1. Open the original PBIX.
2. Save a copy with a new name.
3. Remove or replace the data sources if needed.
4. Keep the model structure and relationships intact.

Option 3: Use Deployment Pipelines (if in Fabric or Service)

If you're using Power BI Service with Fabric or Premium, you can use Deployment Pipelines to clone and manage semantic models across environments.

Option 4: Use TMDL (Tabular Model Definition Language)

If you're using the new TMDL format, you can export the model definition as text and re-import it elsewhere. More on that here:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/enterprise/service-semantic-model-tmdl

Let me know which environment you're working in (Desktop, Service, Fabric) and I can help tailor the steps!

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.
This response was assisted by AI for translation and formatting purposes.

[Gopal_PV]

Hi @burakkaragoz 
Thanks for your reply. sorry for not giving proper details.

Client want to create another semantic model based on exising Semantic Model With proper structure.