BUG: "Formatting options are unavailable for this visual"

[jaykayelsemicol]

In Power BI Desktop I am running into an issue where I cannot format visualizations that are part of a group. When selecting the visualization in the group and navigating to the Format visual tab, no options are available and it says "Formatting options are unavailable for this visual". The only workaround is to ungroup the visualization, make formating changes, then re-group it with the other visualizations. This has been happening for the past week or two. Sometimes it will let me format visualizations in a group, but most of the time it shows the message below. 

[WV]

It is Nov - and I am experiencing this bug as well! I have ungourped saved, closed and re-opened. 

[rbartles111213]

@WV agreed. Only resolution I have used is to click on it, hide and then unhide the visual itself and then the panel shows all the options again.

[SDittmannFleet]

I actually opened a formal ticket about this. Initially, they said it was fixed in the November version and had me update PBI desktop. That did nothing, and I told support as much. They just replied back and said that yes, they have determined it is a bug (duh!), and that a fix would be provided in the December 2023 update. Let's all hope so. Just wanted to share, in case anybody else is still running into this.

[Wilhelm]

I've been doing all the abovementioned workarounds and managed to keep going.

Also noticed that the 'Format' option in the elipses dropdown on visuals has been handy in breaking the curse in most instances. 🙂

[ThePBIMaster]

Hiding/unhiding visuals, grouping/ungrouping, changing pages etc all does not work for me. However, removing all data fields from the 'Build visual' pane and readding them seems to work. 

EDIT: removing and readding the data fields only works sometimes, though changing pages now also sometimes works.

[Wilhelm]

@ThePBIMaster have you tried the visual's ellipses and then click on Format?

[sasdfasdfsad]

Still happens for me too... any chance they will fix this?

[ThePBIMaster]

@Wilhelm There is no Format option on the visuals ellipses. If I click on the visual and select Format from the ribbon, then interact with the options available, it still does not make formatting options available in the Visualizations pane. 

[SevsBo]

I can report that this is definitely an issue, albeit an intermittent one. 

I have a group consisting of bakcground rectangle, overlayed with filters, as part of the filter pane. Sometimes when I select the rectangle to make changes, such as size or colour, it comes up with the "formatting options are unavalable" error, while other times it allows me to make changes normally.

This is regardless of whether I select the rectangle using my mouse or if I use View - Selection - Object. Works sometimes, but not always.

[jaleelahammed]

Using the shortcut Ctrl+X cuts the particular image or shape, and then you can paste it.

Now you will be able to format the Image.