Patent ID: 8821781

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a three dimensional (3D) object with a rear projection (RP) screen or surface, comprising: providing a rapid prototyping machine; supplying a volume of input material to the rapid prototyping machine; providing a digital prototyping file to a computer control system configured to control the rapid prototyping machine; and with the computer control system, operating the rapid prototyping machine to form a 3D object using the input material based upon the digital prototyping file, wherein the 3D object includes an RP element with a rear surface and a front surface, the RP element being adapted for displaying an image via the front surface when light is projected upon the rear surface, wherein the 3D model includes an RP portion corresponding with the RP element and further includes a structural portion corresponding to a structural element, which is less transmissive of light than the RP element, with at least one side integrally and concurrently formed with an adjoining side of the RP element during the operating step and wherein the input material is a plastic selected to provide RP optical qualities, to the RP portion but not to the structural portion due to differing thicknesses of the RP and structural portions, including the displaying of the image via the front surface.