Support for visualization of UTC timestamps

[sam_vanhoutte]

We are keeping all of our time values in our data sources as UTC (as we consider this a best practice for our international customers). However, when showing those dates in PowerBI reports, we’d love to get the option to visualize that date as a local timestamp, instead of the UTC timestamp. I know this is not something that everyone needs as a default, but having the option to mark a field with datatype ‘utctimestamp’, for example would be a good solution.

[sarath_s]

Power BI discards the time field and displaying only date in the visualization. Also tried to split the time field to a separate column, Still its converting it into a date field.

[Enrico]

This is now implemented.

[Enrico]

This is mandatory. See also http://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Timestamp-only-have-date-when-directly-connect-to-SQL-database/td-p/3678

[dimitrigel]

anybody knows some workaround?

[Maja2]

My suggestion would be to add local timezone as a setting in the PowerBI service general settings. That way, you can publish a pbix using .LocalNow function and the service would look to your PBI setting to do the appropriate conversion.

[Maja2]

There is a workaround, but if you're dealing with many clients across timezones, it can get really messy really fast. http://www.excelguru.ca/blog/2016/06/08/display-last-refreshed-date-in-power-bi/

[fbcideas_migusr]

The objective here would be to have a single timezone (UTC) saved in your dataset, then present it on the dashboard as a local time based on the users PBI localtime setting - great idea!

[fbcideas_migusr]

Why does Power BI DAX not have a UTCNOW () function? This is so desperately needed.

[josh_flory1]

I also don't understand why this can't just translate to local viewer timezone. The PowerBI desktop even has a timezone data type... you'd just you could just specify the offset for the data (so flag it with its UTC value) and then let the viewer adjust.

[anthony_merriwe]

I too would like to see this problem solved. When I advocate Power BI for clients, I do not want to have to tell them that I cannot display a refresh date other than UTC. I'm fine with it but, a client sees this flaw as a reflection on the entire product. This is not good for those of us who push this product. This fact, in and of itself, should make this a priority item.