What's changed: Created PL-300 Chapter 3 (domain: Visualize and analyze, part 1 = create reports): creating visuals and reports (purpose-based visual selection, formatting/themes, conditional formatting, filter scope (visual/page/report/drillthrough), visual calculations), and advanced report features (Copilot narratives/page creation/model summary, paginated vs interactive reports, page configuration).
3.1Create visuals and reports
Understand choosing the right visual, formatting and themes, conditional formatting, slicing/filtering (visual/page/report/drillthrough), and visual calculations.
A report’s value is communicating correctly with the right visual. The right type and filter design are key.
3.1.1Choosing visuals and formatting
Choose visuals by purpose: bar/column for category comparison, line for trends over time, scatter for correlation of two variables, pie/donut sparingly for composition, matrix/table for detail or multidimensional cross-tabs, and card for a single KPI. Use formatting and themes (apply colors/fonts at once) to unify the look with accessible palettes.
3.1.2Conditional formatting and filters
Conditional formatting varies background/font color, data bars, icons by value to highlight (distinct from a theme’s blanket palette). Filters have scope: visual-level (one visual), page-level (the page), report-level (all pages), and drillthrough (jump to another page for a selected value). Slicers are on-canvas interactive filters.
3.1.3Visual calculations
Visual calculations compute with DAX over a visual’s results (visible rows/columns), expressing running totals, row differences, or share-of-total without adding measures to the model, within the visual. Unlike model-wide measures, they target only that visual’s visible grid.
Cues: "category comparison" = bar. "trend over time" = line. "correlation of two variables" = scatter. "single KPI" = card. "vary color/icon by value" = conditional formatting. "blanket colors/fonts" = theme. "affects all pages" = report-level filter. "jump to another page by value" = drillthrough. "DAX on the visible grid only" = visual calculation.
Watch the mix-ups: (1) Conditional formatting (value-driven) vs theme (blanket palette). (2) Distinguish filter scope (visual/page/report). (3) Drillthrough jumps to another page; drilldown descends a hierarchy in the same visual. (4) Visual calculations target only the visual’s visible results, unlike model measures. (5) Pie charts are poor with many categories.
3.1.4Section summary
- Choose visuals by purpose (bar=compare/line=trend/scatter=correlation/card=KPI)
- Conditional formatting=value highlight; theme=blanket palette; choose filter scope
- Visual calculations apply DAX to the visible grid without adding model measures
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Quick check
(just a quick review)Q1. You want to clearly show the monthly sales trend (rise/fall over time). Best visual?
Q2. You want to see the correlation between two numeric variables, ad spend and sales. Best visual?
Q3. You want to highlight only cells where margin is below a threshold with a red background. Best feature?
Q4. You want one filter to apply across all report pages at once. Best filter scope?
Q5. You want a running total over a table visual’s visible rows without adding a model measure. Best?