MAQ Software Calendar Visual in Power BI - Can I Display Multiple Date Columns from One Data Source?

Other Questions Airtable
1

I’m working with a dataset that has multiple date columns for different types of events. I want to show all these dates on the same calendar visual but I’m running into some issues.

My data structure looks like this:

ID StartDate EndDate Description
Item1 01/15/24 02/20/24 notes1
Item2 03/10/24 04/05/24 notes2
Item3 05/22/24 06/18/24 notes3
Item4 07/08/24 08/12/24 notes4

Currently the calendar visual only lets me choose one date column at a time. So I can either show StartDate OR EndDate but not both together. I need to display both date types on the same calendar view for each item. Is there a way to configure the visual to accept multiple date columns as input? Or do I need to restructure my data somehow?

2

You’ll need to unpivot your date columns to get this working. The MAQ calendar visual expects a single date column, so your current structure won’t work as-is. I had the same issue with project timelines and ended up transforming my data in Power Query. Basically, duplicate each row: one for StartDate and one for EndDate, then add a column to identify the date type. So Item1 becomes two rows: one with 01/15/24 tagged as ‘Start’ and another with 02/20/24 tagged as ‘End’. This gives you one date column for the visual but you can still distinguish between date types using color coding or other visual elements. The transformation is pretty straightforward in Power Query using the unpivot function, though you might need some cleanup depending on your specific setup.

3

I’ve hit this limitation tons of times. Skip the calculated tables - do the transformation in Power Query instead. Import your table, then use ‘Unpivot Columns’ on your StartDate and EndDate columns. This creates two new columns: ‘Attribute’ (shows ‘StartDate’ or ‘EndDate’) and ‘Value’ (the actual dates). Rename them and you’re done - now you’ve got a single date column that plays nice with the MAQ visual. Way better performance than DAX since it transforms during refresh, not at runtime. Your original relationships stay intact, and you can still use conditional formatting to show starts vs ends on the calendar.

4

yeah, this happens a lot with that visual. I’d create a calculated table in DAX that unions both date columns - something like UNION(SELECTCOLUMNS(YourTable, "Date", [StartDate], "Type", "Start"), SELECTCOLUMNS(YourTable, "Date", [EndDate], "Type", "End")). then just use that unified date column for your calendar and you’ll still have the relationship to your original data for filtering.

5

That visual limitation is frustrating, but there’s a workaround that won’t force you to restructure everything. Skip the unpivoting - create a bridge table instead that keeps your original data structure while feeding the calendar what it needs. I’ve had good luck with a combo approach: build a separate dates dimension table with all your relevant dates, then connect it back to your main table using multiple inactive relationships. Use USERELATIONSHIP in your measures to switch between start and end date contexts. This keeps your original schema intact and gives you more flexibility for other visuals that might need those date columns separate. Performance hit is minimal since you’re not duplicating your main data - just adding a lookup structure. You’ll still need to handle visual differentiation through formatting or tooltips, but this keeps your data model cleaner for whatever comes next.

6

I’ve hit this exact issue tons of times building project tracking dashboards. It’s a super common visual limitation.

Skip the Power Query unpivoting - I just use a DAX measure approach that’s way easier to maintain. Create a new table with DAX like this:

DateTable = 
VAR StartDates = SELECTCOLUMNS(YourData, "Date", [StartDate], "EventType", "Start", "ID", [ID], "Description", [Description])
VAR EndDates = SELECTCOLUMNS(YourData, "Date", [EndDate], "EventType", "End", "ID", [ID], "Description", [Description])
RETURN UNION(StartDates, EndDates)

You get one unified date column and keep all your original data relationships. Use conditional formatting or different colors to tell start and end dates apart on the calendar.

This beats Power Query transformations because your original data structure stays intact and you can tweak the logic later without headaches.

Performance is solid too - you’re not actually duplicating data storage, just creating a virtual view for the visual.

7

This topic was automatically closed 4 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.