Add Icosphere

Reference

Mode:

Object Mode and Edit Mode

Tool:

Toolbar ‣ Add Icosphere

Interactively add an Icosphere mesh object.

Usage

First define the base of the object by dragging with LMB. Next, release LMB and move the mouse to define the height of the object. Finally, click LMB to confirm the shape of the object.

You can use the following hotkeys to temporarily change a setting (for as long as the key is held):

Ctrl	Toggles snapping.
Alt	Toggles the Origin setting.
Shift	Toggles the Aspect setting.

Tool Settings

Depth

The initial depth (from the screen into the scene) used when placing the object.

Surface:

Start placing on the surface under the mouse cursor. If there is no surface, this does the same as Cursor Plane.

Cursor Plane:

Start placing on a plane that goes through the 3D Cursor and is aligned according to the Orientation and Plane Axis.

Cursor View:

Start placing on a plane that goes through the 3D Cursor and is aligned to the view.

Orientation

The new object’s orientation – a set of three axes, out of which Plane Axis chooses one.

Surface:

The object uses the normal orientation of the surface under the mouse cursor. If there is no surface, this does the same as Default.

Default:

The object uses the default Transform Orientation.

Snap To

The target to use while Snapping.

Geometry:

Snap to all types of geometry (vertices, edges, and faces).

Default:

Snap to the target defined in the global snapping options.

Plane Axis

Which of the three Orientation axes (X, Y or Z) is “up” for the object. The object’s base will be perpendicular to this axis.

Auto Axis

Rather than using the Orientation axis indicated by Plane Axis, use the one that’s closest to the viewport’s viewing direction (when not hovering over a surface).

Base

Origin

How the base is defined.

Edge:

The base is defined from one corner to the opposing corner.

Center:

The base is defined from the centerpoint to a corner.

Aspect

Whether the base has a free or fixed aspect ratio.

Free:

The width and depth of the base can be chosen independently.

Fixed:

The width and depth of the base are forced to be equal.

Height

Origin

How the height is defined.

Edge:

The base becomes the bottom, after which you define the top.

Center:

The base becomes the center, after which you define the top.

Aspect

Whether the side of the bounding box has a free or fixed aspect ratio.

Free:

The height can be chosen independently of the base.

Fixed:

The height is forced to be equal to the largest side of the base.

Subdivisions

Influences how many vertices are used to define the sphere. At level 1 the icosphere is an icosahedron, a solid with 20 equilateral triangular faces. Each increase in the number of subdivisions splits each triangular face into four.

Note

Subdividing an icosphere raises the vertex count very quickly even with few iterations (10 times creates 5,242,880 triangles). Adding such a dense mesh is a sure way to cause the program to crash.