In layman's language (devoid of any technical aspect), prototype could be out-rightly described as a piece of prepared overview, analysis, or a general preview before starting a hands-on project for final application; a fixed-set trial and error on the perspective, or the overall view of a finished Engineering structure, Investment product of a manufacturing company, Dental Equipment Set, Aero plane, Architectural Design, Public Infrastructures, and many deliverables in the Industrial, Commercial, and Professional environment.



In short, everything that has to be done and put into the market, or into the hands of any client, need to be tested first in a series of settings, repetitions, demonstrations presented by the would-be Producer, Server, Vendor, programmer (on visual interface) with the collaborations of the client, third party and other interested individuals, future patrons; for the purpose of reviews, feedbacks, in order to save time effort and expenses when the final application of the program, or project will be put into actual operation.

Such prototypes are actually miniature-make of what the whole project would appear, but not necessarily solidified to be visible to the expectation of the client. Important details and basic mainstream entries of the structure should be laid out on the screen or on any visual aids of certain prototype, but angles of the construction that would likely raise some questionable issues that might just be unnecessary flair to the client alone, should be left in the hollow box behind the program.

Basic prototypes could define function and served to describe many different approaches already applied then merged it with the newly created one that will enhance the other.

Certain advantages in using basic prototype:

1. Using one could tell about the development of any future product

2. A prototype could determine how many staff will be need for a future project.

3. Will allow a thorough study of the final application as regards to its functionality, and could establish a definite duration of the project.

4. A great advantage to consider or determine application's or project's feasibility

5. Check rigidly into some technologies that have not yet been adapted.

6. Developments of the project will be improved and perfected as seen in the prototype

Discussions made during the prototype orientation will predict the success of the whole final project application if the client is open to incorporate feedbacks; meaning, all throughout the project, he will be there to serve as a contributing medium for overall success of the structure.

Virtual prototyping is becoming a cost-effective method used in testing new products and systems. It is an integral part of current rapid prototyping methods wherein virtual designs created from computer aided design (CAD) or animation modeling software are used and then transformed into cross sections in a still virtual environment.

A special machine is then used to create each virtual cross section where it takes physical form layers until an identical prototype model is created. The whole process enables the virtual model to become a physical model with corresponding identical features.

In the additive fabrication of virtual prototypes, the rapid prototyping (RP) machine reads the data from a CAD drawing, and forms successive layers of liquid or powdered material according to the virtual data received. It slowly builds up a physical model from a series of cross sections.

These different layers, which match up to the virtual cross sections created from the CAD model, are then glued or fused together to create the final three dimensional prototype model.

All the rapid prototyping technologies used have many things in common where all of them uses additive processes. Rapid prototyping makes use of additive construction as the means of creating solid prototype objects which has the distinct advantage of creating almost any shape or form that even the best machining and tooling methods may not be able to achieve. During development, virtual prototyping goes through a number of stages that eventually turns designs into fully testable three dimensional models.

All the rapid prototyping machines will slowly construct the three dimensional models by putting together thin, two-dimensional layers one at a time. The three dimensional manifestation of the virtual design is formed from the bottom up. Models are formed on an elevator-like platform from virtual CAD designs. The platform is lowered a layer-height at a time once a layer is completed. The thinner the layer, the smoother the finish will be on the completed prototype model. Once the model is completely formed, it may be sanded, plated or painted, depending on material used.

Rapid prototyping technologies can either be a "dry" or a "wet" process. Most machines create prototype models by solidifying some sort of loose powder, liquid, or semi-liquid material. A machine may be able to cut through adhesive-coated sheets of prototype fabrication material. The dry powdered materials can either be some sort of polymer, powdered metal, or wax. Some machines may even be able to use starch as the building material for forming the prototype model.

Some of the powders used may also require a binder. The liquid materials mainly used are usually photosensitive polymers that solidify when exposed to either a laser or ultraviolet (UV) light. Wet rapid prototyping methods generally require a curing phase.