Power BI Report Builder - Tabular model data source (Questions)

[101Mathew]

Hi all,

I've been using Power BI desktop, and AS tabular models for awhile now.

I've been asked to learn Power BI report builder - which I must say is not straightforward; I have the following questions/Issues.

1-If I'm the an admin on a AS Tabular Model - (I can create, build and expand the model), or the author of a Power BI model.  As a matter of course, we hide fields that could lead to none techy report users confused.  Is there a way in Power BI report builder to use these hidden fields?

2-Paramenters in Power BI report builder - If I have a field I wish to use for the end user to input a selection, how do we set it by default to all - (I've been looking but without much success)

3-If I can't make use of hidden fields and measures, can I re-create it within the report builder

4-is there a good tutorial that covers these and other issues I've been having?

I must confess to being rather fustrated with this app

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @101Mathew ,

We’re following up on your query once again. Could you please confirm if your issue was resolved through the Power BI Partner platform?

If it has been resolved, we kindly encourage you to share the solution or any key takeaways here  it could be helpful for others in the community facing similar issues. If we don’t hear back, we’ll go ahead and close this thread.  Should you need any further assistance in the future, please feel free to post a new thread in the Microsoft fabric community.  We’ll be happy to support you.

Thank you for your understanding and continued participation.

[V-yubandi-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @101Mathew ,
Thank you for staying engaged and sharing your concerns.

I understand that this issue might require a more detailed, hands on approach. While we've covered several possible solutions, I recommend reaching out to a certified Power BI partner for support tailored to your specific needs.

Power BI Partners – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-bi/partners#

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @101Mathew ,

We understand your frustration and the importance of this issue, as well as how it impacts your work. We appreciate your time and patience as we work on finding a resolution. Please bear with us we are actively addressing this and will get back to you as soon as possible with positive results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @101Mathew ,

Thank you for your patience. I understand how frustrating it can be to navigate Power BI Report Builder, especially when you're accustomed to the more visual interface of Power BI Desktop. I appreciate you sharing the details and screenshots.

1. Correct  if a field is hidden in the tabular model, it won't appear in the Report Builder's field list.

2. The field ParameterCaptionIndented must match exactly what you're using in the Available Values tab otherwise, the default won't select all correctly.

Helpful References:

Create parameters for paginated reports in Power BI Report Builder - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Report parameters in Power BI Report Builder - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

3. Yes, you can recreate hidden measures  within your dataset query using DAX. However, as you've noticed, using tools like DAX Formatter can unintentionally break parameter references. This happens because paginated reports use special syntax for parameters, such as @ParameterName, which must be preserved exactly for Report Builder to recognize and replace them correctly.

Thanks for your valuable context @burakkaragoz .

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[101Mathew]

Did the screenshots show any issues or not enough details to find the issues?

1 - Sorry, your comment is making me doubt myself now - If I unhide the measure and fields I need in the AS tabular model - back to report builder - use those items in the report builder, then re-hide them in the AS model - Will those measure and fields still work for finished paginated report built in this way?

2 - thank you for the links - I'll read those

I do find it hard to accept that auto creation of parameters for the end report users (when using the query designer) , auto generates hidden datasets but then does not resolve this basic issue of needing to allow all to be the default selection.  I hope these links help me to understand and solve this issue.

3 DAX formatter breaking parameters or other items in the code (which is auto generated from the query designer) odd, DAX formatter, will only put spaces and tabs in after the code items - is there more details on how to fix these types of issues?

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @101Mathew ,

You're right. If you temporarily unhide a field or measure in your AS tabular model, use it in Report Builder, and then re hide it, the report will still function as long as the query remains valid 

This issue arises because tools like DAX Formatter don’t preserve Report Builder's parameter syntax. It might insert extra spaces or misplace the parameter reference, disrupting the query logic. This is particularly challenging because paginated reports use DAX with embedded parameter tokens, which must remain exactly as they are.

Unfortunately, there is no official Microsoft documentation on this issue. However, some users have  facing similar challenges, indicating that it is a recognized limitation when working with paginated reports

If you're using DAX Studio [as you mentioned], it's best to format only the logical parts of your expression.

I Hope this helps...

[101Mathew]

Thank you - 

* Parameters used by end report users - When using the Query Designer, it auto creates a parameter and dataset for that parameter.  - Selecting All as the default within the query designer does not work

I've had to go to the hidden dataset that is auto created and update it to fig 1: I used copilot to help as I did not understand the original query that was auto generated and how it hang together with the parameter:

This was the code auto generated for it originally:

EVALUATE SELECTCOLUMNS (ADDCOLUMNS (SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (ROLLUPADDISSUBTOTAL ('Income Account Exec'[AccountExec], "h0")), "ParameterLevel", if ([h0], 0, 1)), "ParameterCaption", SWITCH([ParameterLevel], 1, 'Income Account Exec'[AccountExec], "Blank()"), "ParameterValue", 'Income Account Exec'[AccountExec], "ParameterLevel", [ParameterLevel], "'Income Account Exec'[AccountExec]", 'Income Account Exec'[AccountExec]) order by 'Income Account Exec'[AccountExec], [ParameterLevel]

I've found another issue, after auto generating the parameters (when click for end user use) and dataset (when using the query designer), if you change the filtered value to later on, this is (again in the query designer), this value does not update

I do think it's vital - if there are auto created items by the App that it works out of the box - Also there should be details on how to adjust/format code; the auto created code is hard to read, (the main query is vastly worse then the auto code for the parameter)

Fig 1

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @101Mathew ,

I understand your frustration. Auto generated queries in Power BI Report Builder can be tricky to work with, especially when they don’t behave as expected. 

Power BI Report Builder automatically creates a parameter and a dataset for it. However, setting Select All as the default doesn’t work out of the box. Since the default selection doesn’t apply correctly, manually adjusting the hidden dataset is the best approach. This ensures that the parameter correctly reflects all available values.

If the filtered value doesn’t update dynamically after modifying it in the Query Designer, it could be due to caching or dataset dependencies. Sometimes, manually editing the query outside the designer is necessary to ensure correct behavior.

Here are some useful references

A community discussion that addresses similar parameter related issues.

Solved: Error message with paramaters Report Builder - Microsoft Fabric Community

Microsoft documentation explaining how parameters function in paginated reports.

Report parameters in Power BI Report Builder - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

I hope this helps...

[101Mathew]

As always, thank you for your information. The lesson here is that this solution is not ready for self-service without development by Microsoft, proper documentation, and guides—or it requires significant development time by your staff, still leaving some blind spots and uncertainty.

I will try to steer my team away from this solution unless absolutely necessary

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @101Mathew ,

Totally get the frustration. Report Builder has a bit of a learning curve, especially when you're coming from Power BI Desktop and working with tabular models. Let me try to help with your questions one by one:

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1. Using Hidden Fields from Tabular Models

Unfortunately, Report Builder does not expose hidden fields or measures from the tabular model. If a field is marked as hidden in the model, it won’t show up in the metadata browser.
Workaround:
If you have access to the model, you can temporarily unhide the fields you need, build your report, and then hide them again. Not ideal, but it works.

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2. Parameters with "Select All" by Default

This is a common ask. To set a parameter to default to "All":

• In the Parameter Properties, go to Default Values
• Choose Get values from a query
• Use the same dataset as the available values
• This will pre-select all values by default when the report loads

Make sure the dataset returns all possible values for that parameter.

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3. Recreating Hidden Measures in Report Builder

Yes, you can recreate logic using calculated fields in your dataset queries (DAX or MDX depending on your source).
But keep in mind:

• You won’t get the same performance or reusability as model-defined measures
• If the logic is complex, it’s better to expose it in the model itself

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4. Good Tutorials

There aren’t many modern tutorials, but here are a few solid starting points:

• Microsoft Learn - Paginated Reports
• Guy in a Cube on YouTube has some great walkthroughs
• SQLBI also has some advanced content if you're working with DAX-based models

---

Let me know which part you'd like to dive deeper into. Happy to help walk through a specific example if needed.

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.
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[101Mathew]

Thank kindly for the reply - I've spent so much time trying to figure these issues out, without much in the way of support.

1. Using Hidden Fields from Tabular Models

That is very annoying, and interesting that if it's unhidden you can add it then hide it again, and still works

2. Parameters with "Select All" by Default

Parameter on selecting it's properties, under default values, in the dataset section have that match the field that is being used as the parameter?!? see Fig 1  

Fig 1 

note it shows up in the dataset as AccountExec - also the query designer Fig 2:

Fig 2

3. Recreating Hidden Measures in Report Builder

So Define it in here - like I would within Dax Studio - FYI - I tried formatting this query using DAX formatter, which made it so much easier to read, but broke the query on parameters oddly which is annoying, as I don't understand the reason why, and dealing with a lump of code is rather fustrating