GeoFlow Released for Public Preview

In this morning’s keynote address at the PASS business Analytics Conference, Amir Netz demonstrated using GeoFlow, a geographic data visualization add-in for Excel 2013, with a set of data showing the success of pop starts and their countries of origin.  It was a very interesting display of 3D geographical data.  Amir gets so excited when he does these demonstrations and his passion for these new BI tools is infectious.

The public beta for GeoFlow is released publically today and you can download the installer from here.  I blogged about GeoFlow in a short video presentation titled SQL Server Community World Tour with GeoFlow.  I need to update my very brief set of data but it does show some of the capabilities of an earlier private preview version of the tool.

From the official Microsoft Connect page for GeoFlow, this is what you can expect to see in this release:

The GeoFlow Preview for Excel contains the following new features:

• A single install for 32-bit and 64-bit versions

• Geo-disambiguation dialog showing what values were not geocoded

• Support for Tables which have Relationships

• Add Data button in the Excel Ribbon, part of the Map split button which allows you to add data from your sheet to the Data Model after selecting it

• Refresh Data button in the GeoFlow ribbon

• 2D charts and brushing

• Touch navigation and gestures

• Navigation controls

• New tour model with no need to save or refresh your scene

• Transitions and Effects

• Improved performance

• Many improvements in the UI – ribbon, time controls, navigation controls

You can read more details in the Getting Started document.

GeoFlow can be installed here.

(Apr 14 13 Update) – GeoFlow requires Microsoft Office 2013 Pro Plus.  Make sure you have that edition of Excel installed and then download and install the add-in.  After that,  open a document in Excel, go to File > Options and Add-Ins, select to manage COM Add-ins and hit the Go button.  Check the GeoFlow for Microsoft Excel item and click OK.  That should do it!

You’ll find the GeoFlow option on the Insert ribbon, GeoFlow group and the Map drop-down button.

If you can’t get to the content on the Microsoft Connect site, try this link.  You must log into the Connect site using a Microsoft account like you would to use HotMail.