Custom Connector installing problems

Hello Speckle and Power BI Community,

I am currently working on a project where I aim to visualize a Revit model in 3D within Power BI using Speckle. I have followed the necessary steps to install the Speckle connector by placing the Speckle.mez file in the ā€˜Custom Connectorsā€™ folder within my Power BI Desktop directory. Despite this, the connector does not appear in Power BIā€™s ā€˜Get Dataā€™ section.

Iā€™m considering the possibility that installing Power BI on a drive other than the default might be causing this issue, which I plan to investigate further. However, Iā€™m also open to the idea that there might be other factors Iā€™m overlooking.

To better assist you in understanding my issue, hereā€™s what Iā€™m trying to achieve:

Objective: Visualize a Revit model in 3D within Power BI using Speckle for enhanced data analysis and presentation.
Issue: The Speckle connector is not being recognized in Power BIā€™s ā€˜Get Dataā€™ even after placing the Speckle.mez file in the appropriate ā€˜Custom Connectorsā€™ folder.
Speckle link: Works fine
Logs: I havenā€™t encountered any error messages directly related to this issue in the %appdata%/Speckle/Logs.

Could there be a step Iā€™m missing, or is there a specific configuration I need to adjust within Power BI or Speckle to make this work? Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help and guidance!

Have you set the Data Extensions to allow for uncertified extensions?

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Yes I did, i also downloaded speckle.mez latest release and moved it into the map Custom Connectors in Power BI Desktop. I also tried to create one. I also tried to create a Microsoft Power BI Desktop map in documents. I looked for not having documents in onedrive (iā€™ve seen that could be a cause for misconnection). I tried to download the english version desktop version. Any other options are welcome

It is supposed to work if you tried all of these. Can you try updating Power BI?

nowadays the folder of power bi desktop is in the path C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftPowerBIDesktop_2.126.927.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe

In this change, the folder does not allow any files or folders to be added for any reason. The document/Microsoft Power BI Desktop path is no longer created when installing power bi today 02/25/2024. How could I do it in my case?

Hey @Kevin_Meza_Mallma ,

Welcome to the community! Feel free to Introduce yourself :person_gesturing_ok: to the community if you want to! :grinning:

You can manually create the Power BI Desktop/Custom Connectors folder and paste Speckle.mez file into that.

I have finally found the solution. Itā€™s straightforward for anyone facing the same problem. Here are the steps:

  1. Download Power BI from the official Microsoft website using the provided link below (avoid downloading from school platforms, work platforms, or Microsoft webshops):
    [LINK: (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=58494)] (in English).

  2. Install it without configuring installation settings.

  3. In Power BI, go to options and configure data extension to allow ā€œanyā€.

  4. Download Speckle from GitHub.

  5. Hereā€™s where it becomes tricky for everyone. A helpful tip: Navigate to the settings of the Power BI app: Options ā†’ Save and Report ā†’ Check the path of ā€œauto-recovery fileā€. If you havenā€™t altered anything, it should match the commonly suggested path found in forums: ā€œC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Power BI Desktopā€. If itā€™s different, donā€™t fret, just copy it and navigate to the location, but donā€™t access the recovery folder.

  6. Create a folder named ā€œCustom Connectorsā€ there (if prompted to do so as an administrator, itā€™s normal). In that folder, place the ā€œspeckle.mezā€ file (if asked for administrative permission again, itā€™s okay).

  7. Open Power BI, and Speckle should be visible.

  8. If youā€™ve followed these steps accurately, it should work 100%. Iā€™ve tried everything, and Iā€™ve been working on this since January.

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Great to hear you figured it out. Thanks for sharing the solution @SECLASOURCE !