Back in the old days one way to test out a physical design was to build it. If the cost of building the real thing was too expensive then you'd model the shape out of something more cost effective, like clay. And to be sure, the hands of a professional artist can be very, very good. But even the best human hands are only so good, what if you have some seriously rigid specifications for your model? What if you need accuracy down at the micrometer scale? Even if you think you've got the shape right, once your design hits the factory floor it's very costly if you find a flaw and have to stop production to re-tool the manufacturing process. This is how 3D printing got it's start, as a way to quickly prototype shapes using a cheap medium.

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