diff --git a/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.nausd_scene b/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.nausd_scene
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86ad3613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.nausd_scene
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#nausd_scene 1.0
+(
+    defaultPrim = "PreviewMesh"
+)
+
+def NauAssetMesh "PreviewMesh" (
+    displayName = "PreviewMesh"
+    prepend references = @../content/meshes/sphere.usda.nausd@</Root/Sphere>
+)
+{
+    matrix4d xformOp:transform = ( (1, 0, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0, 0), (0, 0, 1, 0), (0, 1, 0, 1) )
+    uniform token[] xformOpOrder = ["xformOp:transform"]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.usda b/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.usda
deleted file mode 100644
index 3bbacb67..00000000
--- a/project_templates/empty/templates/material_preview_sceneTemplate.usda
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-#usda 1.0
-(
-    defaultPrim = "PreviewMesh"
-)
-
-def NauAssetMesh "PreviewMesh" (
-    displayName = "PreviewMesh"
-)
-{
-    bool flipU = 0
-    bool flipV = 0
-    bool generateCollider = 0
-    bool generateLods = 0
-    bool generateTangents = 1
-    bool ignoreAnimation = 0
-    rel meshSource
-    asset path = @asset:/content/meshes/sphere.usda@
-    string uid = "11b88c17-0a40-11f1-8b4b-d85ed3ae0e43"
-    float unitScale = 1
-    token upAxis = "Y"
-    matrix4d xformOp:transform = ( (1, 0, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0, 0), (0, 0, 1, 0), (0, 1, 0, 1) )
-    uniform token[] xformOpOrder = ["xformOp:transform"]
-}
-