Prototypes are usually made from some type of plastic, and there are many types
of them, and there are also many ways to make them. Most of the time it depends 
on the product and the material your product is going to be made of. If you need to
make a prototype; you will need and Industrial designer, which is basically an engineer
mixed with an artist. These types of people can create the digital files needed for
prototyping manufactures to read. It also helps to have some kind of diagram or sketch
of what you want made. If not then you need a sketch artist or have the
Industrial Designer create one for you. As you can see this is a real prototype of a
virtual representation below. (Tolerances vary)

Every product or graphic image starts with the sketch. Even the best engineers
and Industrial designers make sketches to get their thought on paper. Sometimes
called the napkin sketch, every great idea starts with a simple sketch. From this
point we can move to creating a virtual prototype, but without it, we have nothing.
This is a crucial part when developing or creating new products, and can sometimes
get hazy when dealing with multiple parties. When developing a new idea and putting
on paper is the act of copyrighting, once the image is on the paper it is said to be
copyrighted. The idea it'self is unprotected and disclosures cannot safe guard an idea
by any means, there must be some kind of image that pertains to the idea, only then
can a person protect the idea from thievery, and even this is not a substantial safe
guard. When working with different parties, these concepts are the main stepping
stones in new product business collaboration. One person may have an idea and that
person may not have any sketching or drafting experience and cannot produce
sketches or even a basic design of the product, the idea is then commissioned to a
sketch artist or industrial designer to create a paper prototype or a virtual prototype
for the said client . From this point the parties involved can move to the legal or
business model of the product.