Install Your Tools

Before you can build reports, you need three things installed. All of them are free for TAMU employees.

Time

~30 minutes

Prerequisites

TAMU NetID, admin rights on your machine (or Software Center access)

1. Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is where you build reports. It connects to Fabric Lakehouses, lets you create visuals, apply themes, and write DAX.

How to install:

Windows (recommended): Install from Microsoft Store or TAMU Software Center
Mac: Power BI Desktop is Windows-only. Use a Windows VM, Citrix, or the Power BI web editor in the Fabric service (limited functionality)

Don't Install the MSI Version

Always install from the Microsoft Store, not the .msi download. The Store version auto-updates monthly. The MSI version requires manual updates and falls behind on features — especially DirectLake support and TMDL export.

After installing:

Open Power BI Desktop
Sign in with your TAMU email (you@tamu.edu)
You should see your name in the top-right corner — this confirms your A5 license is active

2. VS Code (Optional for Beginners, Required for Level 3+)

Visual Studio Code is used for code-first report development — editing TMDL, PBIR, and Power Query M files in Git.

How to install:

Download from code.visualstudio.com
Or install from TAMU Software Center

Recommended extensions:

TMDL — syntax highlighting for Tabular Model Definition Language
Power Query / M Language — syntax highlighting for .m files
GitLens — Git history and blame annotations
Prettier — JSON formatting (useful for PBIR files)

3. Git

Git is used for version control of report definitions (TMDL and PBIR files).

How to install:

Windows: Download from git-scm.com or install via Software Center
Mac: xcode-select --install or download from git-scm.com

After installing:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@tamu.edu"

4. Aggie Brand Theme

The Aggie Brand Theme JSON file is loaded into Power BI Desktop to apply TAMU's official colors, fonts, and visual defaults.

How to apply:

Download aggie-brand-theme.json from the Aggie Brand Theme documentation
In Power BI Desktop: View → Themes → Browse for themes → select the JSON file
The theme is now active for this report. You'll see maroon headers, gold accents, and Work Sans/Open Sans typography

Theme Applies Per Report

The theme is saved inside the report file — you don't need to re-apply it every time you open the file. But you do need to apply it to each new report you create.

Install Your Tools

1. Power BI Desktop

2. VS Code (Optional for Beginners, Required for Level 3+)

3. Git

4. Aggie Brand Theme

What's Next?

Request Access

Navigate the Workspace