Producing real physical models directly from 3D CAD models is possible through an automatic process called Rapid Prototyping.

Rapid prototyping is very useful for “3D” Designers because it helps identify the need for significant changes earlier in the product development cycle. This in turn reduces cost and offers improved performance. If you still primarily use 2D designs, rapid prototyping is yet another reason to switch to 3D.The diverse areas in which rapid prototyping is used continues to grow and astound even long-time users.