Drill-down master dimension (Year → Quarter → Month)

Drill-down groups in Power BI

A Qlik drill-down dimension moves to the next field when the user selects a single value. Power BI does the same with a hierarchy (or several fields stacked on the axis) and the drill buttons on the visual.

Direct equivalent Modeling Reports

Short answer: Create a hierarchy on the dimension table (right-click a column → Create hierarchy, then add levels), or just stack fields on the axis. Readers use the drill-down arrow, Drill up and Expand next level. In measures, test the current level with ISINSCOPE.

What it does in Qlik

In Qlik the drill is driven by selections: picking one value in the current level filters to it and the chart shows the next level. Clearing the selection goes back up.

Qlik example

Qlik expression

// Drill-down master dimension: Country → Region → City
// Measure that changes with the level:
If(GetSelectedCount(Region) = 1, Sum(Sales) / Sum(TOTAL <Region> Sales), Sum(Sales))

Power BI equivalent

Level-aware measure

DAX

Share of parent =
SWITCH (
    TRUE (),
    ISINSCOPE ( Customer[City] ),
        DIVIDE ( [Sales], CALCULATE ( [Sales], ALLSELECTED ( Customer[City] ) ) ),
    ISINSCOPE ( Customer[Region] ),
        DIVIDE ( [Sales], CALCULATE ( [Sales], ALLSELECTED ( Customer[Region] ) ) ),
    1
)

Gotchas and behaviour differences

Drilling in Power BI doesn't create a selection that other visuals see. A Qlik drill filters the whole sheet; a Power BI drill only changes that visual. Use cross-filtering (click a bar) if you need the rest of the page to follow.
Turn off Auto date/time in options and use your own date table hierarchy. The automatic one creates a hidden table per date column.
Test levels with ISINSCOPE, not HASONEVALUE. A single selected value also makes HASONEVALUE true at the total row.

Official documentation

Creating a drill-down dimension (Qlik Help)
Drill mode in a visual (Microsoft Learn)
ISINSCOPE (Microsoft Learn)

Cyclic master dimension, or a variable-driven dimension/measure Cyclic dimensions and dynamic measures A Qlik cyclic dimension lets the user cycle a chart through several fields. Power BI field parameters do the same: a slicer switches the field (or measure) a visual uses. Direct equivalent Sum(TOTAL Sales) / Sum(TOTAL <Category> Sales) The TOTAL qualifier Qlik's TOTAL qualifier makes an aggregation ignore the chart dimensions but keep the selections. In DAX that is ALLSELECTED. TOTAL <Field> keeps one dimension, which maps to removing only the other dimension columns. Direct equivalent LOAD ... AUTOGENERATE ... WHILE ... IterNo() Master calendar (date table) The Qlik master calendar script maps to a date table built in Power Query (List.Dates) or DAX (CALENDAR), marked as a date table and related to the fact date. It is essential for every time-intelligence function. Direct equivalent

Spotted an error or a better pattern? QlikToDax is maintained by a working BI consultant; corrections are welcome via the About page. Last reviewed 2026-10-25.