Drop-down list with pictures

[Nuz]

I want to make data validation to certain cells, that instead of showing a list of available values, should show a list of pictures.
For example, now I have a list of countries, but I would like to show a list of country flags, where the user can select a flag picture from the list.

How can this be done?

 

[Sthrncali]

If you are using Excel 2007 you can "mimick" a list by using shapes.

i.e. draw a vertical rectangle and insert your flags into that rectange. Then each flag would be assigned to a macro that does xyz based on that flag selection..

Then you can simply show/hide the "menu" when a user presses a button on the worksheet...

I know that's not exactly what you asked for, but there is no way to actually embed images in a drop down list in excel so you best bet would be to "mimick" it..

 

[Armando Montes]

Check this out:
http://excel.bigresource.com/Track/excel-xcEMmYNN/

 

[Nuz]

I use Excel 2007 and 2010 but here I'd like to avoid any macros at all costs. Isn't there any macro-free solution to display icons as a list?

 

[Armando Montes]

Maybe this:
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-general/635536-linking-pictures-to-a-drop-down-link-2.html

 

[Nuz]

I found a solution close to it. It works if only one icon is to be displayed but in this case I have for example 100 rows and on each row an icon has to be shown based on the selected value. For example, on cell A1 the value is UK and on B1 the flag of UK is shown, A2 the value is US and B2 the flag of US is shown and so on.

What I have now is I have defined a name "ShowUKFlag" which refers to =INDIRECT("flagUK"). Then I have one cell named as flagUK which contains a picture of the UK flag. Lastly, I have put an empty picture to a cell where the flag should be displayd and set its formula as =ShowUKFlag.

Now the picture becomes the flag of UK, which is fine.
But how to make it work to link with the value in cell A1 and return the corresponding flag? I tried to put INDIRECT formula to the picture's formula bar but Excel gives a notification that the the text you entered is not a valid reference or defined name.

 

[dallen8028]

[h=2]Drop Menu/List of Icons/images that look and work like any Excel Menu Items.[/h]

Please, stop the insanity about creating all of these lists/menus using icons/images instead of words. Hasn't someone already created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)? A line by line instructions with screen shots? Can some just show the way to change an image to an Icon (if that is what needs to happen in order to create a list of Icons/Images) and then how to use place these icons/images in the list/menu instead of words, and then how to make those Icons activate a second window for user input? Any windows based program that has drop menus has icons/images beside the words or just the icons/images. Why is it so difficult to find a simple solution for this ever popular demanding request? I select a drop menu, it has Icons/images instead of words, these icons/images when selected will bring up other data or fields associated with the icon/image. This seams to be one of those forever hidden secrets that programmers do not want to disclose. It's like having a Format style for Architectural units in Excel. Nope, you have to write this awful code/formula to convert values from another cell then hide that cell(s). Would someone please just cut the quick and create these as plugins or easy instructions? Emphasis on EASY.​