Ok, this might take some explaining, so I'll describe briefly the items we sell, so as to give you a better idea of context:
We sell CCTV equipment including DVRs, cameras, hard drives, lenses, cable etc. In terms of “related products” there are numerous combinations. For example, DVRs and hard drives are related, insofar as you require a hard drive when you purchase a DVR. The same goes for a specific category of camera (box camera) which requires a lens. Both of the above would benefit from cable being a related item.
So, you can see that for each of the two parent categories above, each has a different child product, but one common one (there are more, but I'm trying to keep this simple and relevant).
Rather than edit the related items box for each product individually, is there a simpler way to automatically populate the related items based on the parent category ?
Assuming you are referring to the Product analogues add-on, that doesn't create a parent/child relationship does it.
Think about it.
Someone wants to buy a £2000 DVR. It's reasonable to suggest that a box of cable for £40 is a “related item”
Doesn't really make sense the other way around.
What would be ideal is a way to create a number of “related item” blocks, each containing a preconfigured group of products. Let's say, one with DVR related products, one with Camera related products and one with products that have a child relationship to all other products.
Then all one would need is a simple method of assigning each block to a selection of products.
Not rocket science, the links that one would expect to fulfil this task already exist in the related items block, but don't do what you expect.