Is it really useful? or should you just stick to measures?
It was a beautiful day in February 2024 when Power BI decided to surprise us with a shiny new feature: Visual Calculations.
First the not-so-great news: As of mid-2025, the surprise is still in preview and not available in all visuals.
The million-dollar question for every new feature,
“Is this a feature that I should consider learning? Or just one of those ‘happy to have, rarely used’ things?”
This blog won’t teach you how to create visual calculations.
Instead, I’m here to help you decide: should you embrace visual calculations, or stick to our good old DAX measures?
How I Discovered Visual Calculations
When a client asked for a running sum, but only for one specific visual.
I first began writing a measure. But out of curiosity, I decided to check Visual Calculations instead.
It provided a visual matrix with a formula bar!
And after typing in formula bar: RUNNINGSUM([ColumnNameFromVisual]), I got accurate results.
It was pretty simple
It was pretty quick
It was just pretty
That moment sparked my interest. I started exploring and experimenting, leading me to discover:
The Superpower of Visual Calculations
As the name goes, they exist only inside the visual.
They are not stored in the data model, and they don’t create new measures or columns.
Think of them as temporary, visual-specific math that lives and dies within the chart you’re looking at.
The Upsides:
- Zero Impact on the Data Model
You’re not cluttering your model with test measures or one-time calculations. It keeps things light and clean. - Sees What the Visual Sees – Nothing More, Nothing Less
Visual Calculations work with what’s in the visual, even those sneaky hidden fields you’re not showing. It ignores everything outside the visual, no peeking into the rest of the data model. No row context. No filter context headaches. - No Modelling Dependency
You don’t need to worry about relationships or model structure. It’s like freehand sketching versus drawing with a ruler. - Oh, and let’s not forget the templates.
There are ready-to-use templates that make building calculations super easy.
The Downsides:
- Only Lives in the Visual
If you want to reuse it elsewhere, you’ll have to re-create it manually. - No Access to Data Model
Since it doesn’t connect back to the model, it can’t reference tables or fields not present in the visual. - Sometimes Slower to Load
Especially for visuals with many data points. This might be due to its preview status – or maybe because of heavy processing behind the scenes.
How Useful Is It?
Let me tell you how I’m using this superpower.
- First up: conditional formatting.
It works like magic. (Pro tip: If you want to learn how, check out the blog on SQLBI1 – this is a wonderful resource) - It’s very useful to handle one-time, temporary requests from stakeholders. “Can we just see this metric for now? We might not need it later…”
Instead of modifying the data model or creating yet another measure, I just use a Visual Calculation. If the customer decides it’s worth keeping, I’ll later create it as a proper measure.
- And of course, if the calculation is meant for just one visual – why overthink it?
Visual Calculation is the perfect fit. No clutter in your model, no regrets later. And with those ready-to-go templates, it’s extremely easy
When You Should Use It:
- When you need a quick, one-off calculation in a visual
- When you’re building prototypes or mock-ups
- When you’re demoing or exploring data on the fly
- When you don’t want to pollute your data model with temporary DAX measures
When You Should Stick to Measures:
- When you need the calculation in multiple visuals
- When you want to control behaviour via slicers or filters
- When you’re working with complex models and need consistency
Final Thoughts
Visual Calculations aren’t here to steal DAX’s job.
They’re just here to give us options – for those one-off visuals, quick what-ifs, or “let me test this real quick” moments.
Visual Calculations aren’t just some surface-level feature.
They’ve got layers. This blog just scratches the surface -the Power BI docs2 will give you an in-depth picture.
Both DAX measures and Visual Calculations bring value.
The real power move?
Knowing when to reach for which.
So,
Try it. Play with it. Break it.
Ready to make the most of Power BI’s latest features? click here.
Contact OnPoint Insights today and see how we can help you leverage Visual Calculations, optimize your data models, and build smarter dashboards that drive better decisions.
+1 (978) 788-2563
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References:
- Using visual calculations for conditional formatting – https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/using-visual-calculations-for-conditional-formatting/
- Using visual calculations (preview) – https://learn.microsoft.com/hi-in/power-bi/transform-model/desktop-visual-calculations-overview
