How to Create Multiple Measures at Once Using TMDL View in Power BI Desktop

In today’s blog, we’ll explore a powerful and time-saving feature in Power BI Desktop: creating multiple measures at once using the TMDL view.

If you work with large datasets or enterprise-level reports, then this trick will definitely boost your productivity.

🧠 Why Use TMDL to Create Measures?

Creating measures in Power BI manually one by one can be time-consuming, especially in large datasets or complex models. For example, if you’re building a report that requires 10+ similar measures, switching to the DAX editor for each one can feel repetitive and slow.

Problem with Traditional Method:

• Click on New Measure
• Wait for the model to load (especially slow in large datasets)
• Write the DAX
• Repeat this process multiple times

Solution: Use TMDL (Tabular Model Definition Language) View to create multiple measures in one go!

🔍 What is TMDL View?

TMDL is a new feature in Power BI Desktop that lets you edit model metadata (like measures, calculated columns, relationships, etc.) using a simple code editor. It’s like having access to the back-end definition of your model, making it much easier to bulk create or edit logic.

📌 If you're new to TMDL, check out my introductory video (link in the description) to get familiar with the interface.

✅ Steps to Create Multiple Measures Using TMDL

Open TMDL View in Power BI Desktop

• Go to the Model view
• Click on the TMDL icon from the ribbon

Locate Your Measure Table

• If you don't have one, create a dedicated Measure Table
• You can also organize measures using folders

Create One Measure as a Template

• measure Demo_Measure1 = 1

Add Multiple Measures

• Press Enter to go to the next line
• Use the same structure to add more:

measure Demo_Measure2 = 2

measure Demo_Measure3 = 3

measure Total_Sales = CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]))

Note:

• Spaces in measure names are not yet supported in TMDL, so use underscores (_) instead.

Click on the “Apply” Button

• Found on the top-left corner of the TMDL editor
• All your measures will now be created at once in the model

💡 Pro Tip

Let’s say you need to calculate sales by categories (e.g., Electronics, Clothing, Furniture). Just create the logic for one:

measure Sales_Electronics = CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), FILTER(Sales, Sales[Category] = "Electronics"))

Then copy-paste and change the category name accordingly. Apply the changes, and you’re done!

🎯 Final Thoughts

This method can save a lot of time, especially in enterprise-scale projects or when building demo reports with repeated logic. It’s a great example of how Power BI continues to evolve and empower developers with flexible and efficient tools.

📽️ Watch the Full Tutorial

👉 Click here to watch the full video on YouTube Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!