Supported File Types
| Extension | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
.pbix | Power BI Desktop Report | Contains the semantic model (tables, measures, relationships) and report pages |
.pbit | Power BI Template | Same semantic model as a .pbix, but without cached data. Useful for documenting a model template before any data is loaded. |
How RapidDox Processes Power BI Files
Power BI Desktop files (.pbix) and template files (.pbit) are ZIP archives containing the semantic model and report layout. RapidDox reads these files to generate documentation — tables, columns, DAX measures, calculated columns, relationships, hierarchies, and report pages.
Power BI Desktop recommended for full Data Model output
- Works without it: RapidDox runs and generates documentation even when Power BI Desktop is not installed — but Data Model sections will be thinner.
- Why it matters: Microsoft encrypts the Data Model portion of Power BI files. Power BI Desktop is required to decode that metadata into a readable form.
- Recommended setup: install Power BI Desktop on the same Windows machine before generating documentation for the most complete output.
- macOS: Power BI Desktop is Windows-only — on macOS, RapidDox will still produce documentation, but Data Model details will be reduced.
What Gets Extracted
- Tables — every table in the semantic model
- Columns — name and data type for every column
- DAX measures — measure name, parent table, and the full DAX expression
- Calculated columns — name, parent table, data type, and the full DAX expression
- Relationships — from / to table and column for every relationship in the model
- Calculation groups — precedence and the calculation items in each group, where present
- Data sources — source name, connection type, and the tables that use each source
- Power Query (M) — the full M expression behind each table’s partitions
- Report pages — every page name in display order, with the visuals on each page
- Visuals — visual type and the measures / columns wired into each visual
- Filters & slicers — captured at report, page, visual, and bookmark levels
- Bookmarks — bookmark name, display name, active page, and per-bookmark visual visibility
Next Steps
- What Gets Extracted — full metadata breakdown
- Output Formats — PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, HTML