Load a data exchange into Power BI

Use the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI to load an ACC data exchange into Power BI.


00:03

Loading an Autodesk Data Exchange into Power BI

00:06

enables you to create customized reports and dashboards to assist with data analysis.

00:11

Once the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI is installed, you can use it to load a Data Exchange into Power BI.

00:18

To load a Data Exchange, the first thing you need to do is connect to the data source.

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From the Power BI desktop application Home page, click Get Data from Other Sources.

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The Get Data dialog opens.

00:32

In the search field, enter “Autodesk” to locate the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI.

00:38

Select it from the list, and then click Connect.

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Once a connection is made, the Autodesk Data Connector dialog appears.

00:48

From the Select Source Type drop-down, select Data Exchange.

00:53

One option here is to add a link from the Autodesk Construction Cloud in the URL field.

00:59

To create a link that you can use in the Power BI connector, in ACC, navigate to the Data Exchange file.

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Then, click More, and in the drop-down, select Share.

01:12

From the Share dialog, open the Links tab.

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Then, adjacent to the Data Exchange URL, click Copy.

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Close the dialog.

01:24

Back in the Autodesk Data Connector dialog, URL field, paste your copied link.

01:32

If necessary, adjust any of the Advanced options.

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Then, click OK.

01:38

Data loads directly from the Data Exchange that you identified using the link, and the Navigator dialog opens.

01:45

In the Display Options group, select the Data Exchange, then click Load.

01:51

A dialog displays the load progress.

01:55

This process can take a while and illustrates the importance of creating Data Exchanges for a specific subset of elements,

02:02

rather than for entire models.

02:04

Using as few elements as possible can help to prevent Power BI performance issues.

02:10

Once the Data Exchange is loaded into Power BI, from the Visualizations pane, expand Data Exchange.

02:17

Each row represents specific parameters included in the Data Exchange and the associated data.

02:24

You can also load Data Exchanges into Power BI without a Construction Cloud URL.

02:30

Open the Get Data dialog again, locate and select the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI, then click Connect.

02:38

Select Data Exchange as the Source type, set the units, if needed, and then click OK.

02:46

From the Navigator dialog, in the list of available hubs and projects, locate and select your Data Exchange.

02:53

In this example, the Doors Aluminum Data Exchange is selected.

02:58

Click Load to load the Data Exchange into Power BI.

03:02

Once the data is loaded,

03:03

it is available in the Data pane and can be used to create customized reports and dashboards to assist in data analysis and visualization.

Video transcript

00:03

Loading an Autodesk Data Exchange into Power BI

00:06

enables you to create customized reports and dashboards to assist with data analysis.

00:11

Once the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI is installed, you can use it to load a Data Exchange into Power BI.

00:18

To load a Data Exchange, the first thing you need to do is connect to the data source.

00:23

From the Power BI desktop application Home page, click Get Data from Other Sources.

00:29

The Get Data dialog opens.

00:32

In the search field, enter “Autodesk” to locate the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI.

00:38

Select it from the list, and then click Connect.

00:42

Once a connection is made, the Autodesk Data Connector dialog appears.

00:48

From the Select Source Type drop-down, select Data Exchange.

00:53

One option here is to add a link from the Autodesk Construction Cloud in the URL field.

00:59

To create a link that you can use in the Power BI connector, in ACC, navigate to the Data Exchange file.

01:07

Then, click More, and in the drop-down, select Share.

01:12

From the Share dialog, open the Links tab.

01:16

Then, adjacent to the Data Exchange URL, click Copy.

01:21

Close the dialog.

01:24

Back in the Autodesk Data Connector dialog, URL field, paste your copied link.

01:32

If necessary, adjust any of the Advanced options.

01:36

Then, click OK.

01:38

Data loads directly from the Data Exchange that you identified using the link, and the Navigator dialog opens.

01:45

In the Display Options group, select the Data Exchange, then click Load.

01:51

A dialog displays the load progress.

01:55

This process can take a while and illustrates the importance of creating Data Exchanges for a specific subset of elements,

02:02

rather than for entire models.

02:04

Using as few elements as possible can help to prevent Power BI performance issues.

02:10

Once the Data Exchange is loaded into Power BI, from the Visualizations pane, expand Data Exchange.

02:17

Each row represents specific parameters included in the Data Exchange and the associated data.

02:24

You can also load Data Exchanges into Power BI without a Construction Cloud URL.

02:30

Open the Get Data dialog again, locate and select the Autodesk Data Connector for Power BI, then click Connect.

02:38

Select Data Exchange as the Source type, set the units, if needed, and then click OK.

02:46

From the Navigator dialog, in the list of available hubs and projects, locate and select your Data Exchange.

02:53

In this example, the Doors Aluminum Data Exchange is selected.

02:58

Click Load to load the Data Exchange into Power BI.

03:02

Once the data is loaded,

03:03

it is available in the Data pane and can be used to create customized reports and dashboards to assist in data analysis and visualization.

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