Method for determining an amount of build material which is to be applied in a build plane of an apparatus for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object by means of successive layerwise selective irradiation and consolidation of layers of build material applied in the build plane of the apparatus by means of at least one energy beam, the method comprising the steps of: - for at least one layer which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object by means of an apparatus for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object, subdividing at least a part of the build plane, particularly the complete build plane, of the apparatus, in which build plane build material, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during an additive manufacturing process of at least one three-dimensional object by means of the apparatus, is to be applied, into a plurality of build plane elements, - categorizing the build plane elements in a first category, which indicates that a respective build plane element is located in an area of the build plane, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during the selective irradiation and consolidation of the respective layer, or in at least one second category, which indicates that a respective build plane element is not located in an area of the build plane, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during the selective irradiation and consolidation of the respective layer, and - determining the amount of build material which is to be applied in the respective layer on basis of the number of build plane elements which have been categorized in the first category and/or the number of build plane elements which have been categorized in the at least one second category. - for at least one layer which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object by means of an apparatus for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object, subdividing at least a part of the build plane, particularly the complete build plane, of the apparatus, in which build plane build material, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during an additive manufacturing process of at least one three-dimensional object by means of the apparatus, is to be applied, into a plurality of build plane elements, - categorizing the build plane elements in a first category, which indicates that a respective build plane element is located in an area of the build plane, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during the selective irradiation and consolidation of the respective layer, or in at least one second category, which indicates that a respective build plane element is not located in an area of the build plane, which is to be selectively irradiated and consolidated during the selective irradiation and consolidation of the respective layer, and - determining the amount of build material which is to be applied in the respective layer on basis of the number of build plane elements which have been categorized in the first category and/or the number of build plane elements which have been categorized in the at least one second category.