Real-Time Preview

See your theme changes instantly in a live Power BI report.

The Power of Live Preview

Power UI's real-time preview eliminates the tedious export-import cycle. Every change you make updates the embedded Power BI report within 1-2 seconds, allowing you to perfect your theme with immediate visual feedback.

Key Benefits

✓Instant feedback on all changes
✓Test with real Power BI visuals and data
✓Interactive preview with hover and click states
✓No need to constantly export and import

Preview Features

Live Updates

Changes appear within 1-2 seconds. No manual refresh needed - just make changes and watch them apply.

Full Interactivity

Hover over visuals to see tooltips, click to test focus mode, and interact just like a real report.

Multiple Reports

Switch between different sample reports to test your theme with various visual types and layouts.

Focus Mode

Test how your theme looks when visuals are expanded to focus mode - critical for dashboard design.

Using the Preview Panel

Preview Controls:

View Mode Toggle

Switch between Preview and JSON view in the header

Manual Refresh

Force a preview update if needed (rarely necessary)

Report Selector

Choose from different sample reports to test various scenarios

Full Screen

Expand the preview for detailed inspection

Testing Focus Mode

Focus mode is a critical feature in Power BI that expands a single visual for detailed analysis. Testing your theme in focus mode ensures it looks great in all viewing contexts.

How to Test Focus Mode:

1
Hover over any visual in the preview
2
Click the focus icon (arrows) that appears in the top-right corner
3
Visual expands to fill the preview area
4
Test your theme's appearance in this expanded view
5
Click outside the visual or the X button to exit focus mode

Visual Selection Synchronization

One of Power UI's smartest features is the automatic synchronization between the preview and the Visual Styles panel.

How Sync Works:

Click any visual in the preview panel

Visual Styles panel automatically switches to that visual type

Make changes and see them applied to the selected visual instantly

Perfect for quick, targeted adjustments

Pro Tip: Use this feature to quickly style similar visuals - click each one and apply the same variant.

Testing Scenarios

Data Density

Test with different amounts of data:

• Few data points (2-3 series)
• Medium complexity (5-8 series)
• High density (10+ series)

Visual Types

Ensure your theme works across:

• Charts (column, line, area, pie)
• Tables and matrices
• Cards and KPIs
• Maps and custom visuals

Interactive States

Test all interaction modes:

• Hover effects and tooltips
• Selection highlighting
• Cross-filtering between visuals
• Focus mode expansion

Preview Best Practices

Start Simple

Begin with basic reports to establish your foundation colors and typography before testing complex scenarios.

Test Extremes

Check both minimal (1-2 visuals) and dense (10+ visuals) layouts to ensure your theme scales well.

Use Real Data

The sample reports use realistic data patterns. Pay attention to how your theme handles actual business scenarios.

Check Readability

Zoom out to 75% to simulate viewing on smaller screens. Ensure text and data remain clear.

Preview Troubleshooting

Preview not updating?

• Wait 2-3 seconds for automatic update
• Click the refresh button if needed
• Check your internet connection
• Try switching to JSON view and back

Visual selection not syncing?

• Ensure you're clicking directly on the visual
• Wait for the visual to highlight before checking panels
• Some custom visuals may not support selection

Focus mode not working?

• Hover to reveal the focus icon
• Click the icon, not the visual itself
• Some visual types may not support focus mode

Next: Import & Export

Learn how to import existing themes and export your creations for use in Power BI.

Continue to Import & Export →