Share your thoughts on visual calculations (preview)

[jeroenterheerdt]

Hit "Reply" and let us know what you think of visual calculations! To learn more about this feature, please visit the blog post or our documentation.

Here are some areas that we'd like to hear about in particular:

• errors / issues you are experiencing
• functionality that is missing / does not work as you expected that is not listed as limitations in our documentation.
• suggestions on governance capabilities
• sorting behavior of visual and visual matrix

Thanks and we look forward to hearing your feedback!

[Marlon_Munoz]

Great update. An easy way to do complex calculations.

[nielsvdc]

Hi @jeroenterheerdt,

The upside of visual calculations is that we need to create less measures for every calculation that is only used in a single visual and of course that we don't have to write complicated DAX for certain measures that are easier to calculate after aggregation.

The downside of visual calculation nowadays might be that we then miss these measures for when you connect a data agent to a semantic model. If you want the best of both worlds, it's still best to create a measures. What's your opinion about this?

[Mixednuts]

Thanks for this feature. I am thoroughly enjoying it..... and it is valuable as well. 🙂

We have had one adverse issue in that in some circumstances our visuals report resource limits exceeded.

We have found that while it is possible to use a measure (already defined in the model) as part of a visual calculation formula, it can lead to the resource error.

Our workaround is to use the measure to create a separate hidden column in the visual and then use that hidden column in the calculation formula.

Thanks

[jeroenterheerdt]

hmm, can you share an example please?

[Mixednuts]

I attempted to recreate all the scenarios where resource capacity exceeded (including setting report limits and increasing the complexity of the calculation itself)

Unfortunately had no successful failures 🙂 

If I do evenually recreate the issue, I will re-post.

Thanks

[jhvsk]

Visual Calculations are not displaying when dashboards are published. whats the turn around for this at the earliest.

[jeroenterheerdt]

this is a known limitation as listed in our documentation. we currently don't have a timeline for this.

[julie_duquesne]

When creating a visual calculation with an expected result in %, it would be nice to be able to set the format in % without using the FORMAT DAX function, so we can be able to use it in a graph and show the value on the axis as %.

Also a nice feature would be to be able to use the visual calculation in the conditionnal formatting.

For example I'd like to use it to create pareto chart and customize the stack color based on the % value.

[kleigh]

You can now set the format on visual calculations without the FORMAT function, but it's not obvious at the moment.

It's in the General tab > Data Format. Definiely something that should be available as you're editing. It's also not sticky, so if you change your calculation it might revert to a default format.

[julie_duquesne]

Thank you, I found it with. It's really not obvious.

[jeroenterheerdt]

the stickyness is an issue which we are aware of. Since visual calculations are not in the model, they cannot be formatted using the normal formatting settings. Where would you have wanted to find these formatting settings?

[kleigh]

Perhaps not with the normal settings, but having it look similar to editing other things like measures - so a "visual calculation" tab appears in the ribbon when editing. This can change the "Data format" option if that's what works. It could also have the "show in visual" switch (and anything else useful, but nothing comes to mind immediately).

[jeroenterheerdt]

thank you, this is really helpful input!

[julie_duquesne]

Instead of format > General, maybe in Format > Visual, under a specific category "Visual Calculations" would make sense. I kind of never use the General tab in Format so I didn't think of it when looking for a way to format it. 

[jeroenterheerdt]

thank you, appreciate the extra input.

[Branca32844]

Hi! Sorry, me again.. 
Is it possible to use a VC in a Card (new) visual, as a reference label?
It allows me to drop it in the reference label "Add label" section, but it doesn´t render into the visual.. 

Is this a limitation or I am doing something wrong?
Thanks!

[lbendlin]

Visual Calculations assume that you have tabular data. They don't make much sense for scalar data.

[Branca32844]

I don´t agree.. They are very helpful for dynamic titles, subtitles, y axis max, all scalar values.

So, why not reference labels..?

[jeroenterheerdt]

this is likely just a temporary situation as we are planning to eventually have all kinds of places have the ability to use visual calcs. I am interested in your visual calc though, can you share it?

[Branca32844]

Thanks for your feedback!

Sure, this is the card and DAX expression I am using:

Deals =

VAR IconPositive = UNICHAR ( 9650 )

VAR IconNegative = UNICHAR ( 9660 )

VAR _measure = [Sales - Deals KPI]

VAR Result =

    IF (

        _measure > [Sales - Deals KPI Vs],

        IconPositive,

        IconNegative

    )

RETURN

FORMAT(_measure,"#,0", USERCULTURE()) & " " & Result

"

I am using VC for the main measure, but also for the 3 month avg as a reference label (as a work around, I´ve added a dummy measure in the reference label section, turned off values and turn on a dynamic title with the VC).