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Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Parse Your TMDL Files

Open PowerShell and run:

cd "c:\Users\marce\Downloads\PBIP File\Sales Dashboard.SemanticModel"
python tmdl_parser.py

You should see output like:

Parsing TMDL files from: ...\definition\tables
Total measures found: 56
...
✓ Exported data to: measures_data.json

Step 2: View the Visualization

Option A: Using Simple File Open

Simply double-click index.html in File Explorer

Option B: Using Local Server (Recommended)

python -m http.server 8080

Then open: http://localhost:8080/index.html

Step 3: Explore!

Try these actions:

  1. Click any measure node to see its details
  2. Double-click to highlight dependencies
  3. Search for "Total Sales"
  4. Filter by "Fact_Sales" table
  5. Export as PNG

Features at a Glance

Feature How to Use
View measure details Single click on a node
Highlight dependencies Double click on a node
Search Type in search box
Filter by table Use table dropdown
Zoom Mouse wheel or navigation buttons
Pan Click and drag background
Export diagram Click "Export PNG" button
Reset view Click "Reset View" button

Understanding the TMDL Structure

What is a Measure?

In your TMDL files, measures are defined like this:

measure 'Total Sales' =
    SUM ( Fact_Sales[AmountSales] )

How Dependencies Work

When one measure references another measure using [MeasureName]:

measure 'Sales Full LM' =
    VAR _MinDate = [MinDate LM]    <- Dependency
    VAR _MaxDate = [MaxDate LM]    <- Dependency
    RETURN
        CALCULATE([Total Sales], ...)  <- Dependency

The arrows in the graph show these dependencies.

Tips

💡 Finding circular references: Look for loops in the graph

💡 Complex measures: Measures with many dependencies appear with more connections

💡 Isolated measures: Measures with no connections don't depend on others

💡 Performance: If slow, filter by table first

Troubleshooting

❌ "Failed to load measures data"

  • Make sure you ran tmdl_parser.py first
  • Check that measures_data.json exists

❌ Graph is empty

  • Refresh the browser (F5)
  • Check browser console (F12) for errors

❌ Python script fails

  • Verify Python is installed: python --version
  • Check you're in the correct directory

Next Steps

  • Analyze which measures are most connected
  • Identify opportunities to simplify dependencies
  • Document complex measure chains
  • Share the visualization with your team

Need help? Check README.md for detailed documentation.