Part Reference Options
A part reference is an entity that references an existing part, and is also referred to as an Instance. The tools needed to create, organize and edit your part references are available from the Assemblies menu on the menu bar, the Tools>Assemblies palette menu, as well as through the various right-click Context Sensitive Menus. Through these menus, you are able to create and modify references, change their orientation and location, edit parts, modify the representation/display of part references and manage their properties. In addition you have reference editing features, Edit Part, Edit Part In-Context, and End In-Context Editing, which are explained in Editing Referenced Parts.
A part is kept loaded in memory when there are unsuppressed part references to it in an assembly. If all part references to a referenced part are deleted or suppressed, then the referenced part is unloaded, unless open in a Window in the active session. A part can be reloaded to update any changes made since it was last loaded.
NOTE: Solids contained in an assembly can be rendered if and only if this condition is met: For a file that contains three parts, one containing a Wireframe block, one a solid, and the third an assembly of the two, the solid in the assembly part can be rendered if it was saved with facet data in the part being referenced, or if it is facetted.