Using 3DBI with Power BI

[Tuj]

Hello All,

I'm new to this community and have not been able to find a previous thread that specifically answers my issue. Hopefully someone here may be able to provide some insight.

I am in the process of creating a warehouse heatmap visual from a 3D model of our facility made in Sketchup Pro. Inserting the model into Power BI requires the addition of an extension called 3DBI. My goal is to create a report that shows one visual as a list of rack IDs. The second visual will list all of our part numbers. The third visual will be the Sketchup model of our warehouse showing all the racks and the bins that are represented by the part numbers. The 3DBI extension allows the user to navigate through the model by zooming and/or rotating the model to an exact location in the warehouse.

At present everything is working as advertised. I can click/select a rack ID and the visual zooms in directly to the rack showing all the bins on that rack while ghosting out every other rack and bin in the warehouse. The second visual then narrows down the list showing only the part numbers on the selected rack. When you select the actual part number you are looking for it then ghosts out all the bins on the rack except for the one selected... and this is exactly what I want, but with one exception... 

I would like to learn how I can show the specific bin/part number that I'm looking for without the rack itself ghosting out. When I select either the rack or the bin/part number from the lists, the bins on the rack are displayed while the rack itself ghosts out. I assume there must be a way to associate the rack with the part number I select so that both are highlighted when I am looking for a specific part so that it will show not just the bin, but also where it is located on a visible rack.

I would sure appreciate if someone could point me in a direction that could help me acheive my warehouse mapping goal.

Thanks!

[Syndicate_Admin]

Hello friend, greetings from Bolivia

I'm trying to do something similar since I work with SAP and I did inventories, it's a report with a lot of potential

I would like to share ideas with you

Can you leave me your email? Or some way to contact me with you

[Tuj]

I managed to get the answers I needed to make 3DBI work the way I needed in Power BI from the software developer himself. I found it to be a rather complicated procedure requiring multiple data files. There's not really much that I can add to what I was shown to get the results I needed, but the developer intends to produce a video in the future with the instructions on how to duplicate the way I setup my warehouse model in the hopes it can benefit others looking to do the same.

[parry2k]

@Tuj sorry didn't have a chance to look at it yet. will try soon. Thanks!

[Tuj]

Hi @parry2k ,

It seems that this disconnected table formula might be a whole lot more complicated than we assumed. I'm not sure that I need to have additional headaches on the job trying to figure this thing out. I will let my manager know that PowerBI may not be able to provide this feature that he envisioned. I appreciate you trying to help me find a solution. Thanks again for your help.

[parry2k]

@Tuj I know it is a bit involved. maybe it will be easier if you share a sample pbix file, remove any sensitive information before sharing and I will put together something for you. It will be hard to explain otherwise. Share the file using one drive/google drive link.

[Tuj]

@parry2k - It seems you may have discovered that it is not possible to do what I'm trying to accomplish. If you have learned that it can't be done, please let me know so that I can discontinue my account for these products. Thanks.

[Tuj]

Hi @parry2k ,

I put some simple files together that are arranged similar to the way I am doing so for the actual warehouse. I am including the .xlsx, .pbix, and the .3dbi files that I used to make the sample warehouse. This is the link to the folder:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GyMM5tQR9tU0PYZoDgCXcUcWdisCIzkl?usp=sharing

I am also including a link to a published report of this sample warehouse here:

https://app.powerbi.com/links/FOgWZz0eiF?ctid=c00c74f0-3687-4a99-bda3-33d2dc5bd4ed&pbi_source=linkSh...

As I mentioned before, my goal is to be able to select a part type from the list on the far left. This list represent the rack types. When selecting a rack it should show all the bins/part numbers which on that rack in the list next to 'types' list and show these in the model visual. When selecting the part number I want, the model will highlight only that particular bin to indicate the location of the bin on that rack. I just want to find a way to have the rack itself visible at the same time that the rack type or the part number is selected. Clicking the rack type or part number a second time should return the model visual back to showing everything in the warehouse. Hopefully you have the ability to open any/all of the file links I am sending. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks again so much for your help!

[Tuj]

Thanks @parry2k . I will try to put some simple sample files together that will (hopefully) help to keep the process simple for me when I try to tackle the real thing.

[parry2k]

@Tuj this would be possible by creating a disconnected table for the part number which you will use in the slicer so that it doesn't filters out your main table. Based on the selection of the part number, you will find out the rack number and then highlight the rack and the part number in that rack. So it required some DAX measures and disconnected tables.

[Tuj]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm sure that if I wasn't so new at using Power BI I would understand how to create the 'disconnected table' that you are describing. So I'm not sure where to go with your suggestion. I was hoping there was some sort of 'Parent-Child' relationship that could be made where a selection could include adding a component to the part number selection. But I'll try to find some information about using a disconnected table to make two components show together.