Dependent drop down lists for groups of items

[Shadkng]

I would like to modify my existing drop down lists to dependent ones. I have followed some of the online tutorials and made some of my own samples to learn how do make a basic dependent one. I would like to know if something is possible and below is a small sample of what I am working with. The fabrics are one drop down list and the colors are in another drop down list. I know I can assign each of the fabrics it's own colors, but is there a way to assign a group of fabrics to a range of colors? So if I choose any of the "matte" items then the colors in the 2nd drop down would be the same. Same for any the "A3000" which would show a different set of colors. Otherwise it seems like I will have many named ranges because I have over 100 different fabrics and many colors. I just got started with these dependent lists so maybe I'm missing something obvious. Thanks


Fabrics
Matte
Matte30
Mattecol
mattesqyd
matte77
A3000 1%
A3000 3%
A3000 5%
A3000 10%

colors (these colors would be for the "matte items"
White
oyster
ivory
green

colors (these colors would be for the "A3000" items"
grey blue
char char
white linen
bronze

 

[Col Delane]

I don't think you can get around the method of having one Named Range for each of your 1st drop-down options - but remember that you can quickly create the names from the field headings (i.e. the 1st dropdown options) using the Create from Selection option.

 

[Fluff]

If you can clearly define the fabrics, then it can be done.
So if your fabrics will be 5 characters (as you've shown), or if there is always a space after the fabric name, or some other method of defining the fabric.

 

[Shadkng]

Not sure if I can define...silly question - can I define in an adjacent column somehow?

 

[Fluff]

Not that I'm aware of.
With what you showed in the OP, you would have a named range called "matte_" and one called "A3000_" you could then use this in the DV
=INDIRECT(LEFT(L2,5)&"_")
where L2 is the Fabrics DV