SketchUp contains a variety of face rendering styles allowing you to manipulate the amount of material and textures displayed on the screen.
Front color button
Use the Front color button to set the default color for all front sides of faces. Materials assigned to faces override this setting.
Back color button
Use the Back color button to set the default color for the back sides of faces. Materials assigned to faces override this setting.
Display in wireframe button
Use the Display in wireframe button to display the model as a collection of lines. Faces are not displayed in Wireframe mode.
Display in hidden line mode button
Use the Display in hidden line mode button to display faces in the model without any shading or textures.
Display in shaded mode button
Use the Display in shaded mode button to display faces in the model as shaded to reflect a light source. Any color that had been applied to a face will be displayed. Remember that both sides of faces can have different colors. The default colors for front and back face are displayed when no color has been applied to a face.
Display in shaded using textures button
Use the Display in shaded using textures button to display the faces In Model with the texture images that have been applied to a face.
Display in shaded using all the same button
Use the Display in shaded using all the same button to display the faces with the default front and back face color.
Display X-Ray mode button
Use the Display in X-Ray mode button to display all faces in SketchUp with a global transparency. This option allows you to see through the model's faces and edit edges behind faces and can be combined with any of the above face rendering styles.
You can easily visualize, select, and snap to points and edges that would otherwise be hidden behind faces when modeling with X-ray mode. Remember, however, that it is not possible to select and infer faces that would otherwise be hidden.
Faces can not cast Shadows when using X-ray mode. Shadow display will default to ground plane shadows only when X-ray mode is enabled. X-ray mode is different than material transparency.
Enable transparency checkbox
Selecting the Enable transparency checkbox enables or disable global material transparency.
Transparency quality
The Transparency quality options allow you to select the quality of transparency display between faster, medium, and nicer. Each option differs in its speed and quality of transparency sorting. The Faster display sacrifices sorting accuracy to provide a faster rendering update rate. Conversely, the Nicer display performs additional calculations to correctly sort transparent surfaces.
Because SketchUp's transparency system is designed for real-time feedback and display, it may sometimes display transparent faces in an unrealistic way: Faces may appear as if they were in front of other surfaces when they are really behind, and vice-versa.