To implement geospatial analytics in Power BI using custom shape files, you need to use Shape Maps, TopoJSON files, or ArcGIS integration for accurate visualization. The approach depends on the complexity of the geographic data and interactivity requirements.
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Using Shape Maps with TopoJSON Files – Convert your custom Shapefile (.shp) or GeoJSON into TopoJSON format (a compressed version of GeoJSON). Upload this TopoJSON file to Power BI’s Shape Map visual and link it to your dataset using location-based attributes (e.g., region codes or boundaries). This method is ideal for static and custom region-based mapping.
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ArcGIS for Power BI – If you need advanced geospatial analytics, ArcGIS provides rich mapping capabilities like heatmaps, clustering, and demographic overlays. It supports custom shapes and integrates with ESRI GIS data. This method is useful for detailed geospatial analysis but requires an ArcGIS Online account for full functionality.
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Map Visuals with SQL Spatial Data – If your data is stored in SQL Server with spatial data types (geometry/geography), you can use custom R or Python scripts in Power BI to plot geographic boundaries dynamically. This is useful for handling large datasets with complex geospatial calculations.
