A Shape Map visual displays geographical regions by filling predefined shapes with colors based on data values. Unlike the Map visual, which displays individual data points, the Shape Map visual highlights entire regions, making it easier to compare values across geographical boundaries.
How to Proceed?
Step 1
Launch power BI desktop app and open the new report page and import the data required.
Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Semantic Model to build visuals
Step 2
In “visualizations” pane click on “Shape Map” which is highlighted in the given figure.
Step 3
The Olympic dataset has been enhanced with standardized country names and updated region information to support geographical visualizations. This allows us to create a Shape Map using the Olympic dataset without requiring an additional sample dataset.
Drag the data fields into the "Build visual pane" that you want to analyze.
Location: Region (from the NocRegion table) — country names, standardized to match Power BI's built-in map shapes
Legend: Region — provides a color-coded key for each country
Color saturation: Sum of MedalsWon (from the MedalTarget table) — the darker the shade, the higher the country's total medal count.
Tooltips: add more information to the visual, such as Continent or Target
Step 4
Customizing the appearance
You can customize the appearance of the Shape Map visual. Click anywhere on the visual and set the properties in the Format visual pane.
"Map Settings" options allow you to customize and configure various aspects of map visuals within your reports.
We can change the Map type based on the geographical data used. In this example, the World map is selected to visualize medal counts across different countries and regions.
If geographical locations are not recognized correctly, verify that the Region field is categorized as Country/Region under the Column tools tab. This helps Power BI correctly interpret the geographical values.
We can choose the map projection based on specific visualization needs
- Equirectangular
- Mercator
- Orthographic
Equirectangular: cylindrical projection that converts the globe into a grid with each rectangular cell having the same size, shape, and area.
Mercator: cylindrical projection with the equator depicted as the line of tangency. Polar areas are more distorted than Equirectangular projections.
Orthographic: a projection from an infinite point, as if from deep space. It gives the illusion of a three-dimensional globe
The Legend helps categorize the regions displayed on the Shape Map. When a field is added to the Legend, Power BI assigns different colors to each category. If Color saturation is used instead, the regions are shaded based on the measure value rather than categorical colors.
We can also customize the color of the legend values
Without a Legend, the Shape Map uses Color saturation to shade countries based on the selected measure. In this example, countries with higher medal counts appear in darker shades, making it easy to identify regions with stronger Olympic performance.
Step 5 Save the visual
Finally, your Shape Map is ready. Click save button to save the visual.
When to use Shape Map visual?
Shape Map in Power BI is particularly useful when you have geographical data and you want to represent specific regions for deeper analysis. It allows you to visualize data in the context of geographical regions, making it easier to identify patterns, trends, and variations across different areas. The ability to define and use custom shapes for regions adds flexibility, custom geographical boundaries.
Pros
- Maps are visually appealing and can make data presentations more interesting and informative.
- Shape maps represent geographical data in spatial context which helps in understanding better.
- Can use custom maps for custom geographical boundaries.
- Color coded regions make it easier to identify variations and trends.
Cons
- Map visuals are less effective when dealing with complex or dense datasets.
- Effectiveness of shape map depends on quality of data
- Not suitable for all data types
- Limited geographic map coverage yet to use custom maps.
Conclusion
Shape Map in Power BI is a powerful tool for geographical data visualization, users should consider these pros and cons to determine whether it aligns with their specific data analysis needs and requirements. It's important to evaluate the suitability of Shape Map based on the data and for further analysis.
Useful Information
| Tags | Power BI |
| Useful links | https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/power-bi-gow-to-create-a-shape-map/ |
| MS Learn Modules | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/visuals/desktop-shape-map |
| Test Your Knowledge | Quiz |
No comments:
Post a Comment