Smart Matrix
Smart Matrix is a matrix visual for Power BI. It shows a hierarchy of rows against groups of columns, like the standard matrix - and lets you format it the way you format a spreadsheet: with a ribbon of buttons, a formatting panel, conditional formatting rules and ready-made looks.
What you can do with it
- Explore a hierarchy. Open and close rows with the
+/-icons, jump the whole table to a layer with the Layer Toggles, or use Power BI's own drill buttons - the new layer opens by itself. - Handle very large hierarchies. Choose between On-Demand and Lazy Loading, preload the first layers, watch the loading indicator and cancel what you do not need.
- Format like in Excel. Select a row, a column, a header or single cells and use Font, Fill, Borders, Alignment and Number Format. Everything you format is listed in the Formatting panel.
- Highlight by value. Conditional Formatting with conditions, data bars and color scales.
- Put charts in cells. Turn a column into a bar, waterfall or needle chart.
- Mark Actual / Plan / Forecast. Financial Headers draw the IBCS marker under a measure's header.
- Change the whole look at once. Templates, spacing, lines, banding and outline.
- Take the table with you. Export to Excel, PDF or the clipboard, copy single columns, rows or cells.
- Undo. Undo and Redo step back over your formatting changes.
How this documentation is organised
| Section | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Getting started | Adding the visual, its fields, Focus Mode, the parts of the screen |
| Loading | Lazy and On-Demand Loading, preloading, Layer Toggles, the loading indicator |
| Ribbon | Every tab, every button, every menu |
| Side panels | Formatting, Conditional Formatting, Templates, Spacing |
| Working with the table | Selecting, opening rows, context menus, resizing, keyboard and mouse |
| Concepts | How formatting layers, number formats, Financial Headers and saving work |
| Reference | Default values, limits and what is not available yet |
note
Names of buttons, menus and options are written exactly as they appear in the visual (in English), for example Start tab > Number > More Number Formats....