Creating a Chart Swap Toggle in Power BI Using Bookmarks

This guide will walk you through the process of creating a chart swap toggle in Power BI using bookmarks. The process is broken down into two main parts: building the bookmark infrastructure and associating the bookmarks with specific displays.

Table of Contents

1. Setting Up Bookmarks
2. Creating a Toggle Button
3. Configuring the Button
4. Finalizing Functionality

Setting Up Bookmarks

1. Open the Bookmark Pane:

   • Go to View > Bookmarks to ensure the bookmark pane is open.

2. Create Bookmarks:

   • Add two bookmarks named after your two states (e.g., Slicers Shown & Slicers Hidden or Bar Chart Shown & Scatter Plot Shown). For this example, we'll use Toggle On and Toggle Off.

Creating a Toggle Button

1. Insert a Button:

   • Go to Insert > Buttons > Navigate > Bookmark Navigator.

2. Configure the Navigator Button:

   • By default, this will create a set of buttons to navigate between bookmarked states. For a chart toggle, we need a single button with specific configurations.

Configuring the Button

1. Format the Navigator:

   • Inside the formatting options for the navigator, go to the Bookmark option. Here, you can specify that the navigator applies to a group of bookmarks.

2. Grouping Bookmarks:

   • In the bookmark pane, add one of the states to a group. Then, select the group from the dropdown in the formatting options. Note: The dropdown may not refresh immediately; click off the navigator and back on to reopen the formatting config.

3. Enable Deselect Option:

   • Enable the deselection option and select your other state to achieve the desired functionality—a single button that toggles between the two states.

4. Customize Appearance:

   • Update a bookmark name to a Unicode dot: ⬤. Use alignment, padding, shape, and fill options to customize the look. Set the default format first, then configure the selected format. Control-click the button to toggle between the two states and ensure the formatting is satisfactory.

Finalizing Functionality

1. Open the Selection Pane:

   • Go to View > Selection to open the selection pane. This helps in easily selecting report items and toggling their visibility.

2. Configure Bookmarks:

   • Right-click on the bookmark to set configurations based on your use case. For cosmetic updates like a chart swap, disable the Data option to avoid saving filter setups in the bookmark.
   • Select Apply to selected visuals to control particular components of the report. This is generally the most effective option.

3. Update Bookmarks:

   • Select the bookmark to update, then hide/show the appropriate objects in the selection pane. Control-click the objects to be impacted by the bookmark, right-click, and update the bookmark.

4. Set Current Page Option:

   • The Current page option ensures that when a bookmark is selected via a button, you are taken to the page where the bookmark was originally created. In a multi-page report, this ensures users are redirected to the correct page.

Summary

With the infrastructure in place, you can now focus on the functionality of your chart toggle. Using these steps, you can easily configure a seamless chart swapping experience in Power BI.

Detailed Steps for Configuration

Setting Up Bookmarks

1. Ensure Bookmark Pane is Open:

   • Navigate to View > Bookmarks to open the bookmark pane.

2. Create Two Bookmarks:

   • Click Add to create a bookmark for each state you want to toggle between. Name them descriptively, such as Bar Chart Shown and Scatter Plot Shown.

Creating and Configuring the Toggle Button

1. Insert a Bookmark Navigator Button:

   • Go to Insert > Buttons > Navigator > Bookmark Navigator.

2. Configuring Single Button Toggle:

   • By default, multiple buttons will be created. To use a single button:
     • Go to the formatting pane, under Navigator, select Bookmark.
     • Group one of the bookmarks in the bookmark pane.
     • Select the group from the dropdown in the formatting options.
     • Enable the Deselect option and choose the second bookmark to complete the toggle functionality.

Customizing the Toggle Button Appearance

1. Update Bookmark Names:

   • Change a bookmark name to a Unicode dot (⬤) for a toggle switch appearance.

2. Adjust Alignment and Padding:

   • Use the alignment, padding, shape, and fill options in the formatting pane to refine the button's appearance.

3. Check Formatting:

   • Control-click the button to toggle states and verify the appearance and functionality.

Finalizing Bookmarks and Button Functionality

1. Open the Selection Pane:

   • Navigate to View > Selection to open the selection pane.

2. Select Report Items:

   • Use the selection pane to easily toggle visibility of items on your report.

3. Configure Bookmark Settings:

   • Right-click each bookmark and configure settings:
     • Disable the Data option for visual-only changes.
     • Select Apply to selected visuals for targeted updates.

4. Update Bookmark States:

   • Toggle visibility of items in the selection pane, then update the bookmark by right-clicking and choosing Update.

5. Ensure Proper Navigation:

   • If working in a multi-page report, make sure the Current page option is correctly set to navigate users to the correct page.

By following these steps, you'll create a functional and visually appealing chart swap toggle in Power BI.