.. _bpy.types.Material.preview_render_type:

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Preview
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The Preview panel gives a quick visualization of the active material applied in a simple scene.

Shape
   Preview the material on a Plane, Sphere, Cube, Hair, Shader Ball, Cloth or Fluid object.
   This shape is also used for previews when linking and appending materials.

Preview World :guilabel:`Cycles Only`
   Use the world from the current scene for lighting in the material preview.

.. figure:: /images/render_materials_preview_shapes.png

   Preview shapes.
