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name: tabular-editor-config description: This skill should be used when the user asks about ".tmuo files", "Tabular Editor user options", "TE3 preferences", "Preferences.json", "UiPreferences.json", "Layouts.json", "workspace database settings", "deployment preferences", "data source overrides", "keyboard shortcuts", "DAX editor settings", "TMDL options", or "per-model TE3 configuration". Provides guidance for understanding and configuring Tabular Editor 3 configuration files including application preferences and model-level user options.

Tabular Editor User Options (.tmuo)

Expert guidance for understanding and configuring Tabular Editor 3 user options files for Power BI semantic model development.

When to Use This Skill

Activate automatically when tasks involve:

• Understanding .tmuo file structure and purpose
• Configuring workspace database connections
• Setting up deployment preferences
• Managing data source overrides for development
• Configuring table import settings
• Troubleshooting credential encryption issues

Critical

• TMUO files contain user-specific settings - never commit to version control
• Credentials are encrypted with Windows User Key - cannot be shared between users
• Add *.tmuo to .gitignore in all projects
• Each developer needs their own .tmuo file

About TMUO Files

• Introduced in Tabular Editor 3 for storing developer- and model-specific preferences
• Created automatically when opening a Model.bim or Database.json file
• Contains workspace, deployment, and data source settings

File Location

TMUO files are stored alongside the model file with a user-specific name:

Component	Value
Location	Same directory as model.bim or Database.json
Naming	<ModelFileName>.<WindowsUserName>.tmuo
Example	AdventureWorks.bim + user JohnDoe = AdventureWorks.JohnDoe.tmuo

Important:

• One .tmuo file per model per user
• Never commit to version control (add *.tmuo to .gitignore)
• Credentials are encrypted with Windows User Key - cannot be shared between users
• Each developer creates their own .tmuo automatically when opening the model

Cross-Platform Access (macOS/Linux)

When working on macOS or Linux with models stored on a Windows VM:

Parallels on macOS:

/Users/<macUser>/Library/Parallels/Windows Disks/{VM-UUID}/[C] <DiskName>.hidden/

TMUO files will be alongside models in Windows directories, e.g.:

• <ParallelsRoot>/Users/<WinUser>/Documents/Models/MyModel.bim
• <ParallelsRoot>/Users/<WinUser>/Documents/Models/MyModel.<WinUser>.tmuo

Other platforms:

• VMware Fusion - Check /Volumes/ for mounted Windows drives
• WSL on Windows - /mnt/c/Users/<username>/...

Note: The VM must be running for the filesystem to be accessible.

Quick Reference

TMUO JSON Structure

Section	Purpose
UseWorkspace	Whether to use workspace database
WorkspaceConnection	Server for workspace database
WorkspaceDatabase	Name of workspace database
Deployment	Target server and deployment options
DataSourceOverrides	Override connection strings for workspace
TableImportSettings	Settings for Import Tables feature
RefreshOverrides	Advanced refresh configuration

{
  "UseWorkspace": true,
  "WorkspaceConnection": "localhost",
  "WorkspaceDatabase": "MyModel_Workspace_JohnDoe",
  "Deployment": {
    "TargetConnectionString": "powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Workspace",
    "TargetDatabase": "MyModel",
    "DeployPartitions": false,
    "DeployModelRoles": true
  },
  "DataSourceOverrides": {
    "SQL Server": {
      "ConnectionString": "Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=DevDB"
    }
  }
}

Workspace Settings

Control workspace database behavior:

Field	Type	Description
UseWorkspace	bool	Enable/disable workspace mode
WorkspaceConnection	string/object	Server connection (plain or encrypted)
WorkspaceDatabase	string	Database name (should be unique per developer/model)

{
  "UseWorkspace": true,
  "WorkspaceConnection": "provider=MSOLAP;data source=localhost",
  "WorkspaceDatabase": "AdventureWorks_Workspace_JohnDoe_20240115"
}

Deployment Settings

Configure deployment target and options:

Field	Type	Description
TargetConnectionString	string/object	Target server connection
TargetDatabase	string	Target database name
DeployDataSources	bool	Deploy data source definitions
DeployPartitions	bool	Deploy partition definitions
DeployRefreshPolicyPartitions	bool	Deploy incremental refresh partitions
DeployModelRoles	bool	Deploy security roles
DeployModelRoleMembers	bool	Deploy role members
DeploySharedExpressions	bool	Deploy shared M expressions

{
  "Deployment": {
    "TargetConnectionString": "powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Production",
    "TargetDatabase": "Sales Analytics",
    "DeployDataSources": false,
    "DeployPartitions": false,
    "DeployRefreshPolicyPartitions": true,
    "DeployModelRoles": true,
    "DeployModelRoleMembers": false,
    "DeploySharedExpressions": true
  }
}

Data Source Overrides

Override data source connections for workspace database:

Field	Type	Description
ImpersonationMode	enum	Authentication mode
Username	string	Username for authentication
ConnectionString	string/object	Override connection string
Password	string/object	Password (can be encrypted)
AccountKey	string/object	Azure storage account key
PrivacySetting	string	Privacy level

ImpersonationMode values:

• Default
• ImpersonateAccount
• ImpersonateAnonymous
• ImpersonateCurrentUser
• ImpersonateServiceAccount
• ImpersonateUnattendedAccount

{
  "DataSourceOverrides": {
    "SQL Server DW": {
      "ImpersonationMode": "ImpersonateServiceAccount",
      "ConnectionString": "Data Source=dev-server;Initial Catalog=DevDW"
    },
    "Azure Blob": {
      "AccountKey": {
        "Encryption": "UserKey",
        "EncryptedString": "ABC123..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Table Import Settings

Settings for the Import Tables / Schema Update feature:

Field	Type	Description
ServerType	enum	Database type
UserId	string	Username
Password	string/object	Password (plain or encrypted)
Options	object	Additional server-specific options

ServerType values:

• Sql, Oracle, Odbc, OleDb, Snowflake, Dataflow
• PostgreSql, MySql, MariaDb, Db2, Databricks, OneLake

{
  "TableImportSettings": {
    "Sales Data": {
      "ServerType": "Sql",
      "UserId": "sqladmin",
      "Password": {
        "Encryption": "UserKey",
        "EncryptedString": "..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Encrypted Credentials

Credentials can be stored encrypted using Windows User Key:

{
  "ConnectionString": {
    "Encryption": "UserKey",
    "EncryptedString": "ABC123..."
  }
}

Or for deployment targets:

{
  "TargetConnectionString": {
    "ConnectionString": "powerbi://...",
    "EncryptedCredentials": "XYZ789..."
  }
}

Note: Encrypted strings are tied to the Windows user account and cannot be shared.

File Naming Convention

<ModelFileName>.<WindowsUserName>.tmuo

Examples:

• Model.bim opened by JohnDoe -> Model.JohnDoe.tmuo
• AdventureWorks.bim opened by jane.smith -> AdventureWorks.jane.smith.tmuo

Common Patterns

Development Environment Setup

{
  "UseWorkspace": true,
  "WorkspaceConnection": "localhost",
  "WorkspaceDatabase": "Dev_AdventureWorks",
  "DataSourceOverrides": {
    "Production SQL": {
      "ConnectionString": "Data Source=dev-sql;Initial Catalog=DevDB"
    }
  }
}

Power BI Service Deployment

{
  "Deployment": {
    "TargetConnectionString": "powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MyWorkspace",
    "TargetDatabase": "Sales Model",
    "DeployPartitions": false,
    "DeployModelRoles": true
  }
}

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• schema/tmuo-schema.json - JSON Schema for validating .tmuo files (temporary location)

Scripts

• scripts/validate_tmuo.py - Validate TMUO files for schema compliance

External References

• Tabular Editor User Options
• Workspace Mode
• Supported File Types

Best Practices

1. Never commit .tmuo files - Add *.tmuo to .gitignore
2. Use unique workspace database names - Include username and timestamp
3. Don't share encrypted credentials - They're tied to Windows account
4. Use data source overrides - Point to dev/test environments
5. Document expected settings - Create a template README for team