Andrea Martorana Tusa

#sqlsat

Custom maps in Power BI

Speaker info
• Microsoft MVP Data Platform
• Team Leader for Business Intelligence in Würth-Phoenix (Bozen,
Italy)
• Previously worked by Widex a danish company which manufactures
hearing aids, as BI Specialist, and as BI Developer in an italian bank
• Speaker at SQL Saturdays, and other community-driven events in
Europe, (MS Cloud Summit, SQL Konferenz, SQL Nexus, SQL Days,
Dataminds Connect ...). Speaker in webinars for PASS Italian VC,
DW/BI VC
• Author for sqlservercentral.com, sqlshack.com, UGISS (User Group
Italiano SQL Server)
Agenda
Built-in standard visuals Custom visuals
• Bubble /Filled maps (Bing) • MapBox
• ArcGIS • Synoptic panel
• Shape maps • Icon map
• R • Flow/Route
• Globe 3D
Agenda … is made by you!
Built-in visuals Score Custom visuals Score
Bubble/Filled maps MapBox
ArcGIS Synoptic panel
Shape maps Icon map
R Flow/Route
Globe 3D
ArcGIS
ArcGIS
• A GIS (Geographic Information System) is a computer-based tool
that analyzes, stores, manipulates and visualizes geographic
information on a map.
• ArcGIS is the software developed by Esri, for creating and using
maps, performing spatial analysis, sharing and discovering
geographic information.
• There’s a visual for using ArcGIS Maps in Power BI. The visual
includes a set of map tools that let you use powerful spatial
capabilities to go beyond the simple representation, such as
clustering, adding reference layer, infographics, time changing
pattern, ecc.
ArcGIS
Using ArcGIS, you can also publish your own reference layer and
reuse it in Power BI.

Create a custom
Publish and share the Look for the reference
shape or GeoJson file
file in ArcGIS online file and reuse it in
with a GIS software
as hosted feature ArcGIS for Power BI
(ArcGIS Desktop,
layer visual
QGIS, …)
Demo
Shape maps
Shape maps
 A shape map is a visual built to show comparisons of regions on
a map by applying different colors to each region.
 It is based on shapefile, a storage format developed by Esri,
nowadays universally recognized as standard for storing
geospatial information.
 A shapefile format spatially describes vector features: points,
lines, polygons. It is therefore commonly used to represent
geometric locations for data and its attributes.
Shape maps

Here is how a
shape map
usually looks like
Shape maps
Power BI provides two ways for using shape maps:
1)Default built-in maps
2)Custom maps

1) Few built-in maps are supplied inside the visual itself, ready for
use.
2) Custom maps must be in TopoJson, a geographic format
inherited from the most common GeoJson.
TopoJson files are not common. You can create your own file,
converting from other formats (shapefile, geojson, ecc.), using for
example an online tool such as MapShaper (mapshaper.org).
Demo
R
R
 R is the most common open source language for statistical
computing and graphics.
 R provides a wide variety of statistical and graphical techniques.
 R scripts are fully supported in Power BI, offering the way to
perform analytical and statistical analysis and to create
compelling visuals. The integration of R in PowerBI grants access
to a rich array of data visualizations not present in the standard
PowerBI set.
 R is shipped with a huge number of packages for spatial data
analysis and plotting. Many sort of maps (choropleths, map
projections, topological maps, animated maps, …) and sketch
options are available with R.
R

With R in Power
BI you can:

import data Cleanse an Create charts,

using scripts transform data maps and any
sources, model, sort of interactive
shape, analyze visualization
data
Demo
MapBox
MapBox
Next gen maps with MapBox in Power BI.
“With MapBox quickly create beautiful maps visuals that answer your
business question with blazing fast performance”. (from Mapbox blog)

A MapBox developer account is requested to

use the visual. Once signed up, you get a
token you can use to display your
visualizations. The token is free for up to
50.000 map viz per month.
MapBox
“The Mapbox Visual for Power BI brings five new location data visualization
superpowers to Power BI:
Map Layers - Choose from heatmaps, graduated circle maps, and cluster
aggregation maps all in one viz.
Performance - Analyze and render your big location data super fast using GL
technology.
Design - Choose from over 8 map styles tailored for data visualization. Control the
context and story of your data in Power BI with finite control over the color, shape,
labels, and opacity of your map data layers.
Custom Map Styles - Design a custom map with any geospatial data (shapefiles,
KML, geotiff, etc.) using Mapbox Studio. Drop your custom style into your Power BI
dashboard in one click.
Cluster Aggregations - Understand spatial trends in your data way beyond
density. Cluster data by sum, min, max, or average measure value.”
MapBox
Custom map style.
“A style is a set of rules for how your map will be drawn on the page —
it includes references to your data, map images (icons, markers,
patterns), fonts, and defines how all of your data should be styled on
your map.“

Styles are created and edited in MapBox Studio an on-line editing tool
available once you are signed up.
 Demo

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMDZmYmQwZTctZGI3OS00NThhLTg2MzctZmI1Y2QwNDE0MDQyIiwidCI6IjYyOWE3MGIyLTMyYjktNDEyNi05NTFlLTE3NjA0Y2Y0NTZlYyIsImMiOjF9
Synoptic panel
Synoptic panel
 Synoptic Panel by OKViz is a custom visual that allows you to
tie up data to images such as geographic or plan map.
 You can highlight some areas of an image, and color them to
display data and other related information.
 Synoptic Panel is powerful, flexible, and fully customizable. You
can represent not only geographic maps, but also 2D images,
such as a store plan, an airplane, a stadium etc.
 Every area is mapped and is linked to data for analysis and
presentation purpose.
 In 2015 Synoptic Panel has been voted by users as the winner of
the Power BI Visual Contest, a competition for rewarding the
best visual created straight from users.
Synoptic panel

Here is how a
synoptic map
looks like
 Synoptic panel
Before using the visual in Power BI you need to edit the map for defining the areas to highlight
and assigning a unique name to each of them. There’s an online tool called Synoptic Designer
developed by the same team as Synoptic Panel, to accomplish this task.

If your map comes as a

bitmap image you have to
use Synoptic Designer.

If your map comes as a

vector image (SVG, Scalable
Vector Graphics), you can
use either Synoptic Designer
or a third-party tool that
supports SVG files, such as
Inkscape.
Demo
Icon map
Icon map
Map visual to show data bound images & lines or circles on a
map.
• Render images and lines or circles
• Draw lines to and from the image
• Select from different tile layers, include MapBox and
Thunderforest if you have the appropriate API key
• Add realtime weather layers with an OpenWeatherMap API
key
• Show the realtime daylight curve
Demo
Flow/Route
Flow map
Flow traces paths on a map. A typical flow map, which
contains one source and multiple targets, is visualized as a
flow-style tree overlaid on top of a Bing map.
Route map

Route map traces trajectories on a map.

With this visual you can draw paths on a Bing map, based on
coordinates and time of the journey. Figure out, for example,
the tracking of a sport activity. Points and time in sequence
shape your way along the road.
Demo
Globe 3D
Globe 3D

GlobeMap represents data in 3D format.

With GlobeMap you can plot location with category values
displayed as bar heights and heat maps.

The 3D bars allow you to get instant insight and give and
immediate perception of what data represents and its outline.

You can also rotate the Globe and see it from different angles.
Demo
Stay tuned!

Twitter: @bruco441
E-mail: andrea.martoranatusa@gmail.com

Series named “How to create geographic maps

using Power BI” on www.sqlshack.com
Stay tuned!

Exploring Maps in Power BI from Blue Granite:

Webinar + Whitepaper
https://www.blue-granite.com/maps-in-power-bi-mar-2018
https://www.blue-granite.com/maps-power-bi-whitepaper

PASS Business Analytics Virtual Chapter:

https://www.youtube.com/user/PASSBAVC
Q&A
Stay tuned
I’m authoring a series
“How to create geographic maps in Power BI” on
www.sqlshack.com

Articles published so far:

• Bubble and filled maps
• ArcGIS
• Built-in shape maps
• Custom shape maps
Thanks!