Rarely use solids and want to understand how to convert the attached component into a solid. And would like colors to show through, for example if I section the solid using subtract.
Polyethylene Tool Foam Sheet.skp (128.5 KB)
Might help to understand what constitutes a solid in SketchUp. A solid must be an object ( group or component) that contains nothing but edges and faces. Every edge in the object must be shared by exactly two faces. No fewer and no more. So no stray edges, no missing faces, and no internal faces. In your model, each object within the top level component or group (you’ve got both) are solids. The top level object cannot be a solid because it contains components instead of loose geometry.
If you were to explode the components inside the top level object the thing wouldn’t be a solid due to the internal faces.
If you want to use one of the Solid Tools on these things either explode the top level object so the cutter object can interact with each component or put the cutter object inside the top level object so again, it can interact with the components during the Subtract operation.
Here I’ve put the wedge-shaped cutter into your component and used the native Solid Tools to cut the parts. I used Trim for the first two because Subtract erases the cutting object and you need it for the second and third objects. I also switched to Monochrome face style so it’s easier to see the cuts being made. The faces generated by the cutting object will inherit the cutting object’s material. You could skip giving the cutting object a material unless you want that material applied to the faces. If you want the original materials, repaint the faces. Might be more efficient to not paint the faces until after you’re finished shaping the parts.