subcategories needed on main page

I am trying to list all sub categories on my main page.
https://www.igofresh.com (1.3..9f).
So far I have Admin>>Configuration>>layout settings>>main page opens with category.
I can put the category ID in for one sub cat to display on the main page.
Question is, can I enter a range of ID#s or a list of ID#s?

Where did those tables come from??

I think you mean on the main page?
it is categories with grid layout mod (dashed dividers from another mod)

You can specify
Main page opens with category xx for one category id "xx", or
Main page opens with category 0 for all categories, but not a partial list.

"main page opens with category" just basically calls a (one) specified page then? Any more creative ways to list all sub categories on the main page? I currently have the main categories showing there but would like to have a way for customers to make a quick "jump" to a sub cat represented visually.

So you want all top cats AND all subcats showing on the homepage? That is probably going to involve custom PHP and MySQL coding. There is at least one mod for showing "all subcats and products", but I don't think there is anything for your request. Check in Free Addons to be sure.

No, just sub cats.
What if I make a new sub category under a hidden main category (status 0), and link all current sub categories to it? Than I could set that category ID to open on main page?

Sorry, a subcategory can belong (or link) to only one parent category.

You really wouldn't want just the subcats showing anyway; you would want headings at least, telling which department they belonged to.

What you are asking for is like the categories menu expanded to show all the subcats all the time (on the homepage). I think you could use the chcategories option in Categories Dressing, and style the <ul> lists it generates to occupy the homepage center column. It might be doable just by styling and positioning the sidebox to sit in the center column area (and adding a conditional test to display only on the homepage), or it might be necessary to rework it a bit to call the "sidebox" from the center column define_main_page.php.

My categories are sort of meaningless to the customer anyway (Aisle 1, Aisle 2, etc). My store is Groceries which have a ton of possible cross references. I see search as the mail function the customer will use, but am trying to find some way to let the customer browse with some organization. I am currently using the 'CSS flyout' mod for the category nav. I will have to look at Cat dressing closer. Do you know of any good examples I can see for the Dressing mod?

There are a number of people who have posted links in the Cat Dressing support thread.
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67676 , v2.7.3 content starting at post 789.
Demo screenshots of v2.5+ capabilities at posts 501, 504 & 510.

There are recent examples linked from posts 1617 and 1621 in the support thread.

Doesn't he want "Configuration > Layout Settings > Categories - Always Open to Show SubCategories"? I know I'm a bit late but I have the same issue. I have selected "1" for this setting but I'm not seeing my subcategories always open.

"Categories - Always Open to Show SubCategories" does not mean that all of the subcategories are always open; it means that the active category always opens to show its subcats. Confusing, I know, and it could be worded better in the admin setting.

:( Thanks