Role playing dimensions in Fabric

[Scott_Powell1]

We need true role playing capabilities for dimensions in Fabric. Currently, you can include a table only a single time in a semantic model that uses DirectLake. This makes it impossible to use a dimension as a role playing dimension - for example, our date table as admit date, discharge date, surgery date, etc. Also the same for providers - there can be an admitting provider, discharge provider, attending provider, surgeon, primary care physician, etc.

We need the ability to:

1. Use a table multiple time in a semantic model built in the service
2. Be able to rename the table, for example rename a generic "date" table to admit date, discharge date, etc.
3. Still have everything work properly with DirectLake

The only workaround currently is to create multiple copies of the table. This not only wastes space, but also means separate ETLs have to be updated if there's any change to the base table.

Thanks,

Scott

[jay_jape]

need this for our customer bi solution

[claudiavpul]

is there a new workarround? I follow the blog https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/09/29/role-playing-dimensions-in-fabric-directlake-semantic-models... but then I get this error: {"error":{"code":"ExternalServiceFailed","pbi.error":{"code":"ExternalServiceFailed","parameters":{},"details":[{"code":"ModelingServiceError_Reason","detail":{"type":1,"value":"Error in ModelingEngineHost"}},{"code":"ModelingServiceError_Location","detail":{"type":1,"value":"ModelingEngineHost"}},{"code":"ModelingServiceError_ExceptionType","detail":{"type":1,"value":"InvalidOperationException"}},{"code":"ModelingServiceError_Message","detail":{"type":1,"value":"Sequence contains more than one matching element"}}]}}} Please try again later or contact support. If you contact support, please provide these details. Thanks for getting a working solution.