How to Edit Fabric Semantic Models with Power BI Desktop (Connect vs Edit Explained)

Managing semantic models in Microsoft Fabric is easy to start—but tricky to maintain if you’re not using the right tools. In this video, Manuel Quintana from Pragmatic Works walks through how to edit and update Fabric semantic models using Power BI Desktop, and when to work in the browser vs Desktop. You’ll see how to spin up a semantic model from the Fabric sample lakehouse, then connect to it from Power BI Desktop in two different ways: Connect (for report-only measures) and Edit (for true live model editing). Manuel shows how to add measures and relationships that persist in the central model, and why live edit mode is essential for preview features like DAX user-defined functions. By the end, you’ll know how to safely maintain shared semantic models for your organization, avoid the “disappearing measures” trap, and decide when to stay in the Fabric service versus jumping into Desktop for faster, more robust modeling. 👉 On-Demand Learning - Start With The FREE Community Plan: https://prag.works/odl-trial-yt 🔗Pragmatic Works On-Demand Learning Packages: https://pragmaticworks.com/pricing/ 🔗Pragmatic Works Boot Camps: https://pragmaticworks.com/boot-camps/ 🔗Pragmatic Works Hackathons: https://pragmaticworks.com/private-tr... 🔗Pragmatic Works Virtual Mentoring: https://pragmaticworks.com/virtual-me... 🔗Pragmatic Works Enterprise Private Training: https://pragmaticworks.com/private-tr... 🔗Pragmatic Works Blog: http://blog.pragmaticworks.com/ 00:00 – Intro & why Fabric semantic model editing matters 02:03 – Using the Fabric sample lakehouse & creating a semantic model 03:50 – Modeling in the Fabric browser vs Desktop 05:16 – Connecting to a Fabric semantic model from Power BI Desktop 06:46 – The trap: report-only measures vs shared model measures 09:17 – Live Edit mode: editing the semantic model directly in Desktop 11:12 – Preview features: user-defined functions & advanced modeling 12:40 – Pros, cons, and best practices for maintaining Fabric semantic models Let's connect: ✔️Discord: https://prag.works/yt-discord ✔️Facebook: https://prag.works/yt-fb ✔️Instagram: https://prag.works/yt-insta ✔️LinkedIn: https://prag.works/yt-li Pragmatic Works 350 Governor St, Suite 300, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Phone: (904) 638-5743 Email: [email protected] #PragmaticWorks