/// From the WIKI -- tesselate a sphere
void createSphere(const std::string& strName, const float r, const int nRings = 16, const int nSegments = 16)
{
	MeshPtr pSphere = MeshManager::getSingleton().createManual(strName, ResourceGroupManager::DEFAULT_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME);
	SubMesh *pSphereVertex = pSphere->createSubMesh();

	pSphere->sharedVertexData = new VertexData();
	VertexData* vertexData = pSphere->sharedVertexData;

	// define the vertex format
	VertexDeclaration* vertexDecl = vertexData->vertexDeclaration;
	size_t currOffset = 0;
	// positions
	vertexDecl->addElement(0, currOffset, VET_FLOAT3, VES_POSITION);
	currOffset += VertexElement::getTypeSize(VET_FLOAT3);
	// normals
	vertexDecl->addElement(0, currOffset, VET_FLOAT3, VES_NORMAL);
	currOffset += VertexElement::getTypeSize(VET_FLOAT3);
	// two dimensional texture coordinates
	vertexDecl->addElement(0, currOffset, VET_FLOAT2, VES_TEXTURE_COORDINATES, 0);
	currOffset += VertexElement::getTypeSize(VET_FLOAT2);

	// allocate the vertex buffer
	vertexData->vertexCount = (nRings + 1) * (nSegments+1);
	HardwareVertexBufferSharedPtr vBuf = HardwareBufferManager::getSingleton().createVertexBuffer(vertexDecl->getVertexSize(0), vertexData->vertexCount, HardwareBuffer::HBU_STATIC_WRITE_ONLY, false);
	VertexBufferBinding* binding = vertexData->vertexBufferBinding;
	binding->setBinding(0, vBuf);
	float* pVertex = static_cast<float*>(vBuf->lock(HardwareBuffer::HBL_DISCARD));

	// allocate index buffer
	pSphereVertex->indexData->indexCount = 6 * nRings * (nSegments + 1);
	pSphereVertex->indexData->indexBuffer = HardwareBufferManager::getSingleton().createIndexBuffer(HardwareIndexBuffer::IT_16BIT, pSphereVertex->indexData->indexCount, HardwareBuffer::HBU_STATIC_WRITE_ONLY, false);
	HardwareIndexBufferSharedPtr iBuf = pSphereVertex->indexData->indexBuffer;
	unsigned short* pIndices = static_cast<unsigned short*>(iBuf->lock(HardwareBuffer::HBL_DISCARD));

	float fDeltaRingAngle = (Math::PI / nRings);
	float fDeltaSegAngle = (2 * Math::PI / nSegments);
	unsigned short wVerticeIndex = 0 ;

	// Generate the group of rings for the sphere
	for( int ring = 0; ring <= nRings; ring++ ) {
		float r0 = r * sinf (ring * fDeltaRingAngle);
		float y0 = r * cosf (ring * fDeltaRingAngle);

		// Generate the group of segments for the current ring
		for(int seg = 0; seg <= nSegments; seg++) {
			float x0 = r0 * sinf(seg * fDeltaSegAngle);
			float z0 = r0 * cosf(seg * fDeltaSegAngle);

			// Add one vertex to the strip which makes up the sphere
			*pVertex++ = x0;
			*pVertex++ = y0;
			*pVertex++ = z0;

			Vector3 vNormal = Vector3(x0, y0, z0).normalisedCopy();
			*pVertex++ = vNormal.x;
			*pVertex++ = vNormal.y;
			*pVertex++ = vNormal.z;

			*pVertex++ = (float) seg / (float) nSegments;
			*pVertex++ = (float) ring / (float) nRings;

			if (ring != nRings) {
                               // each vertex (except the last) has six indicies pointing to it
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex + nSegments + 1;
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex;               
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex + nSegments;
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex + nSegments + 1;
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex + 1;
				*pIndices++ = wVerticeIndex;
				wVerticeIndex ++;
			}
		}; // end for seg
	} // end for ring

	// Unlock
	vBuf->unlock();
	iBuf->unlock();
	// Generate face list
	pSphereVertex->useSharedVertices = true;

	// the original code was missing this line:
	pSphere->_setBounds( AxisAlignedBox( Vector3(-r, -r, -r), Vector3(r, r, r) ), false );
	pSphere->_setBoundingSphereRadius(r);
        // this line makes clear the mesh is loaded (avoids memory leakes)
        pSphere->load();
}