connect-pbid
Connect to Power BI Desktop (Local Analysis Services)
CRITICAL: Record mistakes, surprises, and model-specific nuances encountered while using this skill in
.claude/rules/connect-pbid.md. This file must begin with "Learnings from Claude about connecting to semantic models via the connect-pbid skill". Write only active reference notes (e.g. "QueryGroup property returns an object; access .Folder for the name string"); do not log a changelog or history of events. Omit anything already documented in the skill or its references. Keep the file under 1500 characters at all times; prune stale entries when adding new ones. Do not over-attend to this file; update it only when something genuinely unexpected is discovered.
Note: No MCP server required; do not use this skill with MCP servers or CLI tools. Use this skill to execute PowerShell commands directly via Bash to connect to Power BI Desktop's local Analysis Services instance.
Expert guidance for connecting to Power BI Desktop's local tabular model via the Tabular Object Model (TOM) and ADOMD.NET in PowerShell. Covers connection, enumeration, DAX queries, query traces, and full model modification.
When to Use This Skill
Activate only when the Tabular Editor CLI or a Power BI MCP server is unavailable. TOM is more reliable than direct TMDL editing because it validates changes against the engine and applies them atomically.
WARNING: This skill does NOT support remote models via the XMLA endpoint. For Direct Lake models or models hosted in Fabric, use the Tabular Editor CLI or a Power BI MCP server instead; the local Analysis Services proxy does not expose Direct Lake databases to external TOM/ADOMD.NET connections.
Critical
- Power BI Desktop must be open with a model loaded before connecting; if there are errors it is likely due to a "thin report" connected to a remote model, or a Direct Lake model (which uses a remote proxy that blocks external connections)
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