Technical and engineering models are commonly used throughout the modern world to allow designers and buyers to get a feel for an idea, and judge how well it will work, without building an entire replica of the object. By using model making first can save a lot of time and money and it allows ideas to be adjusted if need be to get them exactly as required.

Also known as scale models, these designs are used in a number of fields, including film-making and when building a design to name just a few fields. Model makers construct very detailed models based on two-dimensional drawings and can pretty much make models out of anything.

The basic idea behind model making is that they allow designers to view their creation, and see how it would work when full-size. Model makers can be as detailed as needed in order to show the workings of the design, and can make accurate scale models including all design features, and made from the same materials as designed by the planners, even down to using the same paints to produce an exact replica of the completed design.

The purpose of scale model makers is to reproduce the plans as efficiently and as realistically as possible, bringing the drawn idea into three dimensions. This requires a lot of modern techniques, as well as an understanding of traditional skills. Mapping and computer design technologies are also used to ensure that the designer gets as close an approximation as possible from their original designs.