The experimental use of various media is of major Importance for architects. Nevertheless, the author of this article is convinced that architects and designers will continue to make physical models. During the design process. however, the designer might wish to transfer the design idea into the computer. If he has already made a physical model, it will take him much time to recreate the same model on the screen by means of his CAD programs. This would be different if it were possible to digitize the existing physical model and then to continue designing on the computer. In this paper, the author describes some 3D-scanning methods based, on computer tomograms. Also the inverse combination of modeling and digitizing would be useful. So-called 3D-printing methods could help architects to transform their model on the screen into physical models during or at the end of the computer supported design process.

In this paper, the author will give a survey on how designers can use input and output devices to generate digital data from a physical model and - vice versa - to transform a digital design solution into a physical model. The reader will get an impression of both procedures from the examples given.