527: Enhance semantic models with info functions & detailed descriptions. Improve clarity for AI and humans. #AI #SemanticModels

The Tabular Model Definition Language (TMDL) Visual Studio Code Extension is Generally Available! The TMDL extension is essential for anyone working with TMDL documents in Power BI Projects (PBIP). It brings modern code experiences to semantic modeling, enabling scalable development of semantic models with the efficiency, flexibility, and AI-powered workflows that today’s data teams expect. To get started: marketplace.visualstudio.com… Blog: powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/… #TMDL #AzureData #PowerBI #TMDL #VSCode #Extension #SemanticModels #PBIP #BusinessIntelligence #TabularModelDefinitionLanguage #Datamodels #VisualStudio #DevTools #DAX #SemanticHighlighting #PowerQuery #Codeactions #Codeformatting #Developers

Check out the brand new official Power BI modeling MCP server. Welcome to the future of Power BI #SemanticModels 🤯🤯🤯 @RuiRomano powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/…

The TMDL extension is a must-have for anyone working with TMDL documents in Power BI Projects (PBIP). It brings modern code experiences to semantic modeling, enabling scalable development of semantic models with the efficiency, flexibility, and AI-powered workflows that today’s data teams expect. #PowerBI #TMDL #SemanticModels #GitHubCopilot #VisualStudioCode #VSCode

We've released version 1.5.1 of the TMDL extension for Visual Studio Code, with a focus on usability and reliability based on your top requests. This update brings DAX semantic highlighting support within TMDL documents - joining other enhanced authoring features like Power Query semantic highlighting, breadcrumb navigation, code actions, code formatting, localization, and numerous bug fixes. marketplace.visualstudio.com… #PowerBI #TMDL #SemanticModels #DataModels #DevTools #DeveloperTools #DeveloperCommunity

When dealing with large semantic models, incremental partition refreshing is key. Reloading the whole thing at once can cause backend systems to fail. Also, direct query can cause visuals to break if the SQL server pauses. #semanticmodels #directquery youtube.com/watch?v=O97j9Dzi…

Johnny Winter is writing a new series of articles about Tabular Editor and Databricks. Check them out! Link to part 1 is below. #Databricks #Semanticmodels #TabularEditor

Day 63 – Dreaming Big & Building Small (for Now) Today marks Day 63 of building my app, BenMakesDataEasy — and the vision is starting to feel real. What began as just a simple idea is slowly shaping into something that could radically improve how people interact with Power BI workspaces. My first mission is simple: Make it effortless to search through your entire Power BI workspace’s semantic models — no coding, no installation, just the click of a button. That's it. If I can help someone instantly find the measure, table, or transformation they’re looking for, I’ve already added value. I’ve been that person — scrolling through layers of Power Query steps, scanning dozens of fields, or trying to remember where a calculated column lives. It’s frustrating. And with Power BI being so flexible (read: chaotic), especially in self-service environments, it’s easy to lose track of what’s in your models. That’s why this is my starting point. But that’s just phase one. From here, I want to build in AI features (maybe using Microsoft’s MCP servers), forecasting tools, operational support, process improvement features, and possibly even integrations with other BI tools like Tableau. The possibilities are endless, and I love dreaming about where this could go. ✏️ Today’s Blog: Brainstorming Supplemental Tools for Power BI Today’s all about ideas — what else could I build to really enhance the Power BI development experience? If you work with Power BI or Microsoft Fabric, I’d love your thoughts. I’m starting with real pain points I’ve experienced, but I know there are a lot more. Let’s build the wishlist. 1. Refresh Optimization & Scheduling Insights What if you could easily visualize all your dataset refresh schedules — and get suggestions for better timing based on usage patterns or failures? Even better: trigger refreshes (or even single-table refreshes) with one click, right from the app. 2. Power BI Ecosystem Health Dashboard Power BI gives teams autonomy — but autonomy without visibility can get messy fast. What if you had a dashboard that showed: Datasets that haven’t been used in months Models with broken references Orphaned queries or disconnected tables Areas with heavy model bloat or refresh lag This wouldn’t be about controlling development — it’d be about empowering it with better awareness. 3. Object Lineage & Usage Tracing If you’ve ever tried to rename a measure or retire a column, you know the fear of breaking something downstream. I want to build a tool that instantly shows you where a field or measure is being used across all your reports. 4. Report Error Monitoring (w/ Playwright) I’ve been playing with Microsoft Playwright to detect broken visuals and errors inside reports. Imagine that integrated into the app: a live dashboard that tells you which reports failed to load, which pages threw errors, and where to start troubleshooting. 5. Browser Tools for Semantic Model Editing Now that semantic models can be edited in the browser, I think there’s room for lightweight developer tools like: Model navigation and visual inspection Relationship audits Quick-access measure previews Performance and pattern checks Think of it like browser DevTools, but for your data model. 6. Search for Report Objects Across the Workspace This is one I’m really excited about. What if you could search your workspace for a specific object inside a report — a visual title, a page name, or a particular metric — and see where it’s being used? “Where is the KPI card titled ‘Total Revenue’?” “Which reports have a slicer using the ‘Region’ field?” “Where is the ‘Customer Satisfaction’ metric being visualized?” It’s like a developer search engine for your Power BI reports — to quickly locate, preview, and navigate the elements that matter. There are more ideas on my whiteboard (and probably in random notes I have all over the place), but this is where I’m starting. I want to build supplemental tools — not to replace Power BI or Fabric, but to amplify the experience for anyone building and managing content inside them. Now I’d love your input: If you’re working in Power BI or Fabric, what are the things that slow you down? What do you wish you could click once and instantly understand? What’s the one nagging task you keep saying “I wish there was a tool for that”? Send me a message or drop a comment. I’m building this out loud and in the open — for all of us trying to make data work easier, cleaner, and smarter. Let’s build something better — together. —Ben #BenMakesDataEasy #PowerBI #Fabric #DataTools #AppBuildJourney #SemanticModels #PowerQuery #WorkspaceSearch

In a context where the commoditization of artificial intelligence seems unstoppable, this piece carries a counterintuitive message: the real value lies not in inference, but in the semantic models that represent the work to be done. In a few words, the model becomes the product. #AI #GenAI #SemanticModels blss.io/4iYlxFz

Major updates have arrived to the #AISkill in #MicrosoftFabric 💡 This release includes support for #semanticmodels & #eventhouses, new conversational capabilities, an enhanced chat canvas and more! ⚡️ Read all about it here blog.fabric.microsoft.com/en…

@patrickdba showing how to get Fabric integration benefits without doing any work! (well, actually you might have to switch a toggle) #Fabric #OneLake #SemanticModels

Struggling to share #semanticmodels with report writers in #PowerBI enterprise environment? Learn about #RLS, #OLS, and practical setups for secure, scalable models. #PowerBI #SemanticModels #DataModeling #MicrosoftFabric #BI #MicrosoftFabric #FabricAdmin youtu.be/nMMa8HllHpI

Highlight for #Dreamforce from @theCUBE #theCUBEresearch with EVP of NextGen platform Muralidhar Krishnaprasad talking about the notion of the open platform approach with integration of existing data and apps video.cube365.net/c/956693 #Salesforce #openplatform #integration #MuleSoft #API #semanticmodels #agents #microservice #dataassets #appassets @salesforce @SiliconANGLE

Did you miss our session at #FabCon, where we talked about #SemanticModels and #DataViz in #PowerBI and #Fabric? No worries, @StephTBruno and I have you covered! Check out our presentation: lnkd.in/gmcKF8m4 Practice dataviz with us every week: lnkd.in/gA4CQVqu

Check out my new blog post: #Microsoft #Fabric: Use #Copilot to Generate #DataModel Synonyms. Elevate your #PowerBI Q&A with Copilot, creating synonyms for #SemanticModels. #FabricAdmins #privacy #GenerativeAI #Data #BI #DataPlatform #AI #MicrosoftFabric biinsight.com/microsoft-fabr…

Maybe #SemPy was designed for something other than this, but how about getting the relationships of #SemanticModels and then converting the graph to PNG and Base64 to display in #PowerBI? Here's a sneak peek of the result. #MicrosoftFabric takes data analytics to the next level.

Power BI Updates: Datasets renamed to semantic models powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/… #PowerBI #semanticmodels #DAX #powerquery #AmitChandakDA #businessintelligence #powerplatform #bi #powerbidesktop #datatodiscovery #powerbitutorial

The @SemanticsConf flew by, but we absolutely had a blast being a part of it🎉 We had the pleasure of presenting a talk on the significance of #SemanticModels, or #ontologies, in enabling explainable and reliable business decision-making—presented by our CEO, Sebastian Schmidt.

🔍 Discover the Future of Drug Safety Monitoring! Join us for our upcoming webinar. 📆 Date: October 10, 2023 🕒 Time: 15:30 - 16:30 CEST 🔗 Register Now: lnkd.in/emt-QXqb #Pharmacovigilance #DrugSafety #Webinar #DataHarmonization #SemanticModels #OMOP #OHDSI

🎉Editor's Choice Article🎉 "PRIVAFRAME: A Frame-Based Knowledge Graph for Sensitive Personal Data" by Dr. Gaia Gambarelli and Prof. Aldo Gangemi @aldogangemi @ComSciMath_Mdpi #sensitivepersonaldata #semanticmodels #privacyprotection #knowledgegraph #AI mdpi.com/2504-2289/6/3/90