14. Visuals and Their Formatting
14.12 Map, Filled Map, Shape Map and Azure Map (Summary)
Start with a problem
Raja wants to show the three cities on a map instead of a bar chart.
Explain simply
Power BI has several map visuals: Map (bubbles), Filled map (shaded areas), Shape map (custom region shapes) and Azure Maps. Maps need location fields Power BI can understand – Module 15 covers this fully.
Show the data
| City | Region | Total Sales (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Pune | West Maharashtra | 850 |
| Nashik | North Maharashtra | 800 |
| Kolhapur | South Maharashtra | 450 |
About this data: This table uses columns: City, Region, Total Sales (₹). This table uses columns: Visual, One-line summary. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv, dark_stores_maharashtra.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Make sure map visuals are enabled (Module 15.2).
- Select
City› Column tools › Data category › City. - Insert Map (or Azure Map): Location
City, Bubble sizeTotal Sales. - Hover each bubble to read the value.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
Three bubbles: Pune largest (₹850), Nashik (₹800), Kolhapur smallest (₹450).
Explain what happened
Power BI sends the city names to the map service to find their positions (geocoding – turning a name into a place on the map), then sizes each bubble by the measure.
Explore further
- Add State and Country, or use latitude and longitude, to avoid wrong matches.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
| Visual | One-line summary |
|---|---|
| Map (bubble) | Bubbles at locations, sized by a measure |
| Filled map | Colours whole areas (states/districts) by value |
| Shape map | Colours regions from a custom TopoJSON map (preview feature) |
| Azure map | Modern map with layers (bubble, heat map, 3D columns, reference layers) |
Module 15 covers maps fully, including geocoding (नावावरून नकाशावरील जागा ठरवणे), data categories, latitude (अक्षांश)/longitude and the settings needed to enable map visuals.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Remember one thing: a frequent mistake is using the filled map for city points, but it colours regions, not points. Use a bubble map (Map or Azure Map) for city and store points, and filled or shape maps for areas like districts. Module 15 has the details and the geocoding tips. Remember this rule.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
एक गोष्ट लक्षात ठेवा: वारंवार होणारी चूक म्हणजे city points साठी filled map वापरणं, पण तो points नाही तर regions रंगवतो. City आणि store points साठी bubble map (Map किंवा Azure Map) वापरा, आणि districts सारख्या भागांसाठी filled किंवा shape maps. तपशील आणि geocoding tips Module 15 मध्ये आहेत. हा नियम लक्षात ठेवा.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
एक बात याद रखो: अक्सर होने वाली गलती है city points के लिए filled map इस्तेमाल करना, जबकि वह points नहीं बल्कि regions को रंगता है. City और store points के लिए bubble map (Map या Azure Map) इस्तेमाल करो, और districts जैसे इलाकों के लिए filled या shape maps. Details और geocoding tips Module 15 में हैं. यह नियम याद रखो.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Pune shown outside India | Ambiguous place name | Add State/Country or use Latitude/Longitude |
| Map visual is grey/disabled | Map visuals turned off in options or by admin | Enable in Options › Security (Module 15.2) |
| Bubble sizes look equal | Values are close | Add data labels or use a bar chart for exact comparison |
Practise independently
Practice task
Put the five stores on a map using Latitude and Longitude from dark_stores_maharashtra.csv.
Hints
- Relate stores to orders on Store.
- Set data categories Latitude and Longitude.
Solution
Five bubbles: Kothrud ₹650 and Baner ₹200 in Pune; College Road ₹500 and Gangapur ₹300 in Nashik; Rajarampuri ₹450 in Kolhapur.
Think like a professional
Use a map only when location itself is the insight (distance, cluster, coverage). Otherwise a bar chart compares values faster.
Revision card