Shape Map does not show data for all zip codes on map

[SebastianK]

Hello community,

I am lost. Please help me!

I want to display customers by zip code on a choropleth map. To do so I have

• used Power BI desktop
• enabled shape map
• created a zip 5 digit TopoJSON file and loaded it into Power BI (approx 8,200 shapes)
• imported the data: zipcode as text and categorized it as postcode

Result:

• I see the german map with the shap tiles for the zip codes
• I see the customers for some shapes / tiles
• Problem: Shape Map does not show data for ALL zip codes on map
  Roughly 50% of the shape tiles have no data. I have tried it all but have no idea why some shapes do not show data
  • the data which is not in the map view does exist in the table itself
  • I have played a lot with the source data. I appears to be very clean in terms of formating

[HotChilli]

It won't be to do with PC capabilities - these limits are design issues to encourage better visual representation and performance  e.g. 10,000 datapoints on a bar chart? -> think about aggregating at a higher level.

The shapemap is a bit different from other visuals (it will still be in preview when man lands on Mars) so I suppose the limits were set to cope with a range of possible designed maps, for example, county maps of the USA, table layouts in a restaurant.

  As far as I know the limits are set in a json file in the source code of the visual.  I don't know if it is possible to get the source code of the shapemap and develop a different version in visual studio with larger limits.  

--

Maybe you can experiment by bucketing your data in a way that allows general representation on the map rather than individual postcode areas

[SebastianK]

@HotChilli thanks a lot! (I just saw that I have credited the wrong person for finding the answer.) Thanks again @HotChilli !

[HotChilli · Accepted solution]

I've had a look and I see that the 'i' indicator is present in the visual so it's a 'too many data points' issue. I wasn't aware of the shapemap limits particularly (all visuals have limits) - but here they are https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/visuals/power-bi-data-points#shape-map-preview 

I also tested the shapemap by creating a calculated column with 

 LEFT(Sheet1[note], 1)

and putting that in a slicer.  Once I 'ctrl clicked' enough selections, the warning came up

[SebastianK]

Thank you @rhotz guess there are still limits in this world - even 2022 a computer can´t colorize 8,200 shapes.. At least in a Microsoft App.

Many thanks for taking the time to look into this!

[HotChilli]

Can you post your shapemap and the pbix please and i'll have a look?

[SebastianK]

@HotChilli very kind! Thanks a lot.

I have shared both files here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Y3GDUYuQEm-QyJoHS5_nHWddKa6Xv1h5?usp=sharing