An improved rapid prototyping and manufacturing system. The improvement is at least two liquid crystal display panels interposed between a UV light source and a descendible platform to form a variably programmable photomask. A computer is connected to each display panel and includes stored, sliced data sets representing parallel, cross-sectional patterns of an object at spaced increments. The platform is lowered, preferably in stepwise increments, and selected patterns are sequentially displayed on each LCD panel as bitmaps generated from the sliced data sets to provide a series of photomasks, each photomask representing a parallel cross-section of the object at spaced increments. Preferably, an entirely opaque display pattern is displayed on the each panel during the time intervals of platform motion and one of the display panels is switched from an entirely opaque display pattern to a pattern representing a parallel, cross-section at least one liquid crystal phase cycle before the other panel is switched.