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Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial with Azure Maps – Australia

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Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial

Table of Contents

A Bubble Map Tutorial explains how to use bubble maps to visually represent information. In these maps, bubbles display graphical information, where the size of each bubble corresponds to the value of a measure. The number of bubbles represents different locations within a dataset. Bubble maps are essential for illustrating quantities at various locations through the use of bubbles.

Power BI has native support for more powerful and flexible Bubble Maps based on Azure Maps. So, locating is not a problem when it comes to mapping services and Azure Maps is a resource where you can trust and find all needed services. In Power BI, another type of Bubble Maps can be developed by using Map Visual supported by Bing Maps for visualizing the geographical data.
Azure Maps offers several advantages:

  • Advanced Features: Some options that are available in Azure Maps are routes optimization, traffic information, or even weather implications that enrich maps and make them more useful.
  • Customization: Azure Maps provides more features of customization. For example, it allows you to view the bubbles as 3D columns, as demonstrated in this blog.
  • Scalability and Performance: Since Azure Maps is built for large data and high traffic, it is more suitable and productive for building enterprise applications.
  • Integration with Azure Services: The other aspect is that as part of Azure family, Azure Maps is very well structured to enable the integration of other Azure services.

Bubble Map Tutorial: Enabling Azure Maps in Power BI Tenant Settings.

Before you can use Azure Maps in Power BI, you need to enable it in your Power BI tenant settings. Here are the steps:

1. Go to the Power BI Admin Portal:

  • Navigate to the Power BI service (https://app.powerbi.com) and sign in with your admin account.
  • Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner and select “Admin portal”.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Admin portal
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Admin portal
2. Navigate to Tenant Settings:
  • In the Admin portal, select “Tenant settings” from the left-hand menu.
3. Enable Azure Maps Visual:
  • Scroll down to the “Integration settings” section.
  • Find the setting labeled “Azure Maps Visual” and toggle it to “Enabled”.
  • Click “Apply” to save the changes.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Admin Portal
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Admin Portal

Now that Azure Maps is enabled, you can proceed to create bubble maps using Azure Maps in Power BI Desktop.

After you open the Power BI Desktop the following dialog will appear to inform users about the new Azure Maps visual and encourage them to upgrade their existing map visuals to take advantage of the new features and enhancements offered by Azure Maps.

Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Introducing Azure Maps
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Introducing Azure Maps

Bubble Map Tutorial: Dataset Requirements for Bubble Maps

To build maps in Power BI, your dataset must contain spatial features. These features can include information related to the location, such as longitude, latitude, zip code, city, and state. Additionally, the dataset should have records of a measured value (e.g., Units Sold) at specific locations, which will determine the size of the bubbles on the map.

Download the dataset and Power BI file from the link given at the end of the blog.

Common Mistakes in Creating Map Visuals

Map visuals might seem straightforward, like other visuals in Power BI Desktop. However, there are some common pitfalls to avoid when working with spatial data:

1. Ensure data transformation is complete.

Data transformation is a crucial step in preparing your data for accurate visualization. This process involves cleaning, reshaping, and structuring the data to ensure it is in the right format for analysis.

2. Set the correct data types.

Setting the correct data types for each column in your dataset is essential for accurate analysis and visualization. Here’s how you can do it:

In Power BI Desktop, to open the column tools, select the column, and choose the appropriate data type from the Data Type dropdown menu.

  • Latitude and Longitude: Set these to the Decimal Number data type. And set Data category as Latitude/Longitude and summarization as Don’t summarize.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Summarization
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Summarization
  • City, State, and Country: Set these to the Text data type. Similarly, set the appropriate data Category and summarization properties.

Selecting the Azure Map Visual

To create a Bubble Map using Azure Maps, Select the Azure Map Visual from the Build pane.

Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Build
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Build

Four Steps to Create a Bubble Map in Power BI with Azure Maps

In this blog, we will guide you through the steps to create a bubble map in Power BI using sales data from 11 states in the United States.

Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - data from 11 states
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - data from 11 states

Step 1: Pulling in the Correct Data Fields (Identify the column containing Latitude values.)

  • Action: Drag and drop the Latitude field into the Latitude value field.

Step 2: Pulling in the Correct Data Fields (Identify the column containing Longitude values.)

  • Action: Drag and drop the Longitude field into the Longitude value field.

Step 3: Identify the column used to size the bubbles.

  • Action: Drag and drop the Units Sold field into the Size value field.

Step 4: Label different regions with distinct colors.

  • Action: Drag and drop the State field into the Legend value field.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Latitude - Longitude - legend - Size
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Latitude - Longitude - legend - Size

Example Visualization

Once these steps are completed, a map will be created where different states are assigned unique colors. The size of the bubbles will correspond to the value of units sold at each location. For instance, zooming in on Washington will provide detailed sales data for that state.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Example Visualization
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Example Visualization
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Example Visualization

Additional Features and Tips for Bubble Maps

  • Customizing Bubble Colors: You can customize the colors of your bubbles to better differentiate between regions. Go to the Format pane and adjust the Data Colors settings.
  • Adding Tooltips: Enhance your map by adding tooltips that display additional information when you hover over a bubble. Drag and drop additional fields into the Tooltip well.
  • Using Filters and Slicers: Apply filters and slicers to interactively explore different segments of your data on the map.
  • Route Optimization and Traffic Information: Azure Maps allows you to add route optimization and traffic layers to your maps, providing more detailed and useful visualizations.
  • Toggle between bubble layer and 3D Column Layer: To switch to the 3D column layer, go to the Format
  • Toggle the 3D Column Layer switch to On.
  • Toggle the Bubble Layer switch to Off.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - 3D Column Layer

DAX Calculations for Enhanced Analysis

To further analyze your data, you can use DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) calculations. Here are some common DAX calculations you might find useful:

Units Sold Rank by State

The DAX measure Units Sold Rank by State calculates the ranking of each state based on the total units sold.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Units Sold Rank by State

Here’s a detailed explanation of the measure:

The Units Sold Rank by State measure uses the RANKX function to rank states based on total units sold. It uses ALL(‘Spatial Data – USA'[State]) to ignore any filters on the State column, ensuring global ranking. The CALCULATE function modifies the context to sum units sold per state, with ALLEXCEPT(‘Spatial Data – USA’, ‘Spatial Data – USA'[State]) maintaining the state context. The ranking is ordered in descending order (DESC), with Dense handling ties by assigning the same rank and then incrementing by one for the next unique value.

This measure can be added as a tooltip to provide contextual ranking information for each state.
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Units Sold Rank by State
Power BI Bubble Map Tutorial - Units Sold Rank by State

Downloads

Download Power BI file

FAQs

In the case of absence of geo-coordinates in your set, you could use other geo-identifiers like city or state. Another way to apply data cleansing techniques is entering the missing values manually.
Yes, it is possible to use custom maps in Power BI using the Shape Map visual or by working with other map visuals in Power BI Marketplace.
Make sure that the dataset is not immense. Reduce the amount of raw data by sorting or condensing it in some way, for example by filtering the data or aggregating data. Also, do not specify too many layers or calculations that will make rendering procedure of the map slow.
Good practices are using clear and distinct colors, using tooltips with useful information, using titles and labels to put the map into context. It’s also important to ensure that the map is friendly to the user’s wants and needs either through pressing buttons or scrolling.

Conclusion

Bubble maps are essential for visualizing spatial data, making them a crucial tool in Power BI. By following these four simple steps, you can create informative bubble maps that effectively represent the magnitude of values through the size of bubbles. Azure Maps offers advanced features and better integration with Azure services, making it a strong choice for creating robust and interactive maps.

Further Learning and Resources

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  • Power BI training in Australia: We offer comprehensive training sessions across various cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.
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