A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material. The method includes applying a layer of the building material to a build area by a recoater and selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured by a solidification device. The steps of applying and solidifying are repeated until the three-dimensional object is completed. A heating element locally introduces thermal energy into the newly applied layer of the building material and/or into the layer of the building material which is already selectively solidified. In the course of this, the thermal energy released by the heating element is adjustable depending on the position of this point in the build area.