Create Shape map visualizations in Power BI Desktop (preview)

APPLIES TO: Power BI Desktop  Power BI service

Create a Shape map visual to compare regions on a map using color. Unlike the Map visual, Shape map doesn't show precise geographical locations of data points on a map. Instead, its main purpose is to compare regions on a map by coloring them differently.

The Shape map visual is available only in Power BI Desktop (not the service or mobile). If it’s still in preview in your version, enable it first (see Prerequisites).

Prerequisites

• Power BI Desktop (current version)
• A dataset with a geographic column (for example, state, region, or district names)

Enable the Shape map visual (preview)

1. In Power BI Desktop, select File > Options and settings > Options.
2. Under Global > Preview features, select Shape map visual.
3. Select OK, then restart Power BI Desktop for the change to take effect.

Add a Shape map visual

1. Open or create a report in Power BI Desktop.
2. In the Visualizations pane, select the Shape map icon to add an empty visual to the canvas.
3. (Optional) Resize the visual so it’s large enough to view region shading clearly.

Power BI Desktop adds an empty Shape map visual to the report canvas.

Build the Shape map

1. Select the empty Shape map visual.

2. In the Fields pane, drag a geographic field to the Location well (for example, State, Region, or District).

3. Drag a numeric measure (for example, Sales, Population) to the Color saturation well.

4. With the visual still selected, open the Format pane (paint roller icon) and expand Map settings.

5. Choose a Map type (for example, Italy, Mexico, USA) from the dropdown.

   

6. (Optional) Select View map type key to display the region keys used by the selected map.

   

7. Choose which way to display a three-dimensional object (the earth) as a two-dimensional map using the Projection dropdown.

   • 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.

   For more detailed information, see Esri map projections reference.

8. (Optional) Add a categorical field to Legend to classify the map regions by category.

9. (Optional) In Format pane > Data colors, adjust the palette and other settings such as Default color and Zoom.

Use custom maps

You can test the built-in map types or use your own custom map as long as it meets the requirements outlined in Load a custom TopoJSON map. Shape map visuals are based on maps you can find, create, or convert to the TopoJSON format (for example: geographical regions, seating layouts, floor plans).

Load a custom TopoJSON map

1. Add or select a Shape map visual.
2. Open the Format pane and expand Map settings.
3. In Map type, select Custom map.
4. Select Add a map type.
5. Browse to and select your .topojson file, then select Open.
6. (Optional) Select View map type key to verify region names or IDs match your Location field values.

Sample custom map

The Offices of the United States Attorneys release an annual fiscal report on their litigation and caseload data. We've converted some of their district data into .json files and added them to this sample PBIX.

Custom shape map demo .PBIX file

If you'd like to experiment with custom maps, download this PBIX file and follow along.

1. From Power BI Desktop, select File > Open report.

2. Since states can be divided into multiple districts, we have to use a custom shape map for districts. By importing the TopoJSON map of the U.S. judicial districts into Power BI Desktop, we can then visualize the annual fiscal district attorney data. The image below uses a custom map named 2000_districts_extra_simplified_CONUS.json file.

   

   

You can do interesting things with the individual state maps as well and show more detail based on the districts it contains.

Getting map data

To quickly get data into a model to test Shape map, you can copy one of the tables at the end of this article, and then select Enter data from the Home ribbon.

In this example, we've selected the data for Mexico and pasted it into Desktop using Enter data. The top row is automatically identified as a header.

You can enter a new column simply by typing a new column name (in the blank column to the right), then add values in each cell just like you can do in Excel. When finished, select Load, and the table is added to the data model for Power BI Desktop.

Preview behavior and requirements

There are a few considerations and requirements for this Preview release of Shape map:

• If the Shape map visual is still marked preview in your build, it must be enabled (see Enable the Shape map visual).
• Currently, you must also have the Color saturation bucket set in order for the Legend classification to work properly.
• The Shape map visual will plot up to a maximum of 1,500 data points.

Region keys

Use the following Region keys in this Preview release to test Shape map.

Australia: States

Austria: States

Brazil: States

Canada: Provinces

France: Regions

Germany: States

Ireland: Counties

Italy: Regions

Mexico: States

Netherlands: Provinces

UK: Countries/Regions

USA: States

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