Mechanical principle is an important basic course for machinery majors, is a machine and institutions as the main research object of the course. To meet the needs of the complex machinery of the applied talents training, starting from the teaching problems existing in the current mechanical principles, this paper expounds the main process of auxiliary teaching by using virtual prototype technology. In shaping machine, for example, intuitive show the process of physical movement and the movement of each component, is helpful to deepen students' understanding of abstract theory, inspire the students' interest in learning, have achieved good teaching effect.