Forum Discussion
Need Map Visual for Power BI Report Server that Supports Custom URL Basemaps
- Anonymous1 year ago
Hi Mahmoud_Alashi ,
We are grateful for your participation in the Microsoft Fabric Community forum.Unfortunately, the built-in map visuals in Power BI Report Server do not directly support using custom URL basemaps. However, you can explore the following visuals and approaches, which might be useful for your requirements:
- Icon Map Visual
The Icon Map Visual is a custom visual that allows you to use custom basemaps, including those from OpenStreetMap and Mapbox. You can specify the URL for the tile map service, making it a flexible option for your needs. You can download the Icon Map visual from GitHub repository or from official site. - Mapbox Visual
The Mapbox Visual allows for custom map layers and does not require an ArcGIS Online account. You can add the Mapbox Visual from the Power BI Marketplace or download it from the open source power BI GitHub repository. - Developing Custom Visuals
If the available visuals do not fully meet your requirements, you can develop a custom visual tailored to your needs. Microsoft provides detailed documentation on creating Power BI visuals in the Power BI visuals documentation.
If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Thanks,
Priyanka.CST community member.
- Icon Map Visual
- Anonymous1 year ago
Hi Mahmoud_Alashi ,
- Icon Map can work offline if you configure it to use on-premise map services.
- Mapbox maps are streamed from their cloud servers and do not provide offline support.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you'd like to discuss this further. If this answers your question, please Accept it as a solution and give it a 'Kudos' so others can find it easily.
Thank you.
Power BI Report Server (PBIRS) has limitations when it comes to custom map visualizations, as it does not support Shape Map, ArcGIS, or custom visuals that require internet connectivity. Since you need a solution that allows custom basemap URLs (e.g., OpenStreetMap, ArcGIS) without an ArcGIS Online account, there are a few alternatives. One option is the Synoptic Panel by OKViz, which lets you use custom SVG-based maps as backgrounds. Another approach is to pre-generate map images using external tools like Python (Folium) or R (ggplot2) and import them into Power BI as background layers. The Icon Map custom visual supports custom tile servers but is not available in PBIRS, making it less viable. You could also explore embedding an externally hosted interactive map using the Web Page Viewer visual if external web access is allowed. For organizations needing robust map support, moving to Power BI Service would provide full access to ArcGIS and other mapping features. If PBIRS is a strict requirement, using static images from external map services or vector-based SVG maps is the best workaround.