Path Layer for Azure Maps Visual in Power BI

Understanding the movement of goods, people, and information across global networks is critical. Azure Maps Visual for Power BI has introduced the Path Layer, a powerful feature that brings geospatial data to life, making it easier to visualize and analyze relationships, movements, and trends. Let’s explore how this feature unlocks new possibilities for businesses, with examples to inspire you.

What is an Path Layer?

The Path Layer in Azure Maps Visual allows users to map connections between geographic locations in Power BI. This feature is particularly useful for visualizing supply chain routes, transportation networks, migration patterns, telecommunications infrastructure, and any data involving connections between points.

With customizable line styles, users can represent different types of paths or data relationships using solid, dashed, or dotted lines. The Path Layer also supports dynamic data binding, enabling attributes like color, width, and opacity to be linked to data fields for rich, visually engaging maps. By incorporating timestamped data, the Path Layer allows for temporal analysis, making it possible to animate movements and visualize changes over time. Furthermore, the interactive filtering feature in Power BI allows users to dynamically explore specific paths or groups of connections.

Examples

Supply Chain Optimization

The sample report illustrates a global supply chain. With connections spanning continents, businesses can:

• Monitor the flow of goods between key hubs.
• Analyze metrics such as cost, distance, and emissions to identify inefficiencies.
• Compare performance across different transportation modes (e.g., air, sea, rail, and truck).

By visualizing routes and metrics together, businesses gain a holistic view of their supply chain, enabling data-driven decision-making to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

Shipment Tracking

This sample highlights movements along coastal routes. This use case is invaluable for industries dependent on maritime logistics, enabling them to:

• Monitor the location of shipments.
• Visualize speed and progress over time using timestamped data.
• Identify bottlenecks or deviations from planned routes.

Customization

The flexibility of the Path Layer makes it a powerful tool for storytelling and data analysis. By using colors intelligently, users can represent different data categories, such as shipment priority levels or transportation modes, in a visually meaningful way. Time-based playback can be enabled to show changes in routes or connections over a specific period, making temporal patterns clear. Contextual layers, such as topography or political boundaries, can be added to provide additional context and depth to the visualizations.

How to Get Started

To begin using the Path Layer, prepare your dataset by ensuring it includes latitude and longitude coordinates for the start and end points of each path, along with any additional attributes you wish to visualize. Add the Azure Maps Visual to your Power BI report and configure the Path Layer by mapping your dataset fields to its attributes, such as color, width, and timestamp. Customize the visual by adjusting line styles, colors, and filters to align with your analytical goals. Once your report is ready, publish it to Power BI Service and share it with stakeholders to drive informed decision-making.

Conclusion

The Azure Maps Visual Path Layer is a transformative tool for businesses seeking to uncover actionable insights from geospatial data. Whether optimizing supply chains, tracking shipments, or analyzing transportation networks, this feature enables users to tell compelling stories with their data. Start exploring the Path Layer today and unlock new opportunities for growth and efficiency.

For more details and step-by-step guidance, visit the official documentation.