diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/LinearTimeFunction.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/LinearTimeFunction.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b164be6ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/LinearTimeFunction.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+//
+// $Id: LinearTimeFunction.java,v 1.1 2004/09/18 22:57:08 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media.util;
+
+/**
+ * Varies a value linearly with time.
+ */
+public class LinearTimeFunction extends TimeFunction
+{
+    public LinearTimeFunction (int start, int end, int duration)
+    {
+        super(start, end, duration);
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited
+    protected int computeValue (int dt)
+    {
+        int dv = (_end - _start);
+        return (dt * dv / _duration) + _start;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimeFunction.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimeFunction.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21946fe00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimeFunction.java
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+//
+// $Id: TimeFunction.java,v 1.1 2004/09/18 22:57:08 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media.util;
+
+/**
+ * Used to vary a value over time where time is provided at discrete
+ * increments (on the frame tick) and the value is computed appropriately.
+ */
+public abstract class TimeFunction
+{
+    /**
+     * Every time function varies a value from some starting value to some
+     * ending value over some duration. The way in which it varies
+     * (linearly, for example) is up to the derived class.
+     *
+     * <p><em>Note:</em> it is assumed that we will operate with
+     * relatively short durations such that integer arithmetic may be used
+     * rather than long arithmetic.
+     */
+    public TimeFunction (int start, int end, int duration)
+    {
+        _start = start;
+        _end = end;
+        _duration = duration;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Configures this function with a starting time. This method need not
+     * be called, and instead the first vall to {@link #getValue} will be
+     * used to obtain a starting time stamp.
+     */
+    public void init (long tickStamp)
+    {
+        _startStamp = tickStamp;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called to fast forward our time stamps if we are ever paused and
+     * need to resume where we left off.
+     */
+    public void fastForward (long timeDelta)
+    {
+        _startStamp += timeDelta;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the current value given the supplied time stamp. The value
+     * will be bounded to the originally supplied starting and ending
+     * values at times 0 (and below) and {@link #_duration} (and above)
+     * respectively.
+     */
+    public int getValue (long tickStamp)
+    {
+        if (_startStamp == 0L) {
+            _startStamp = tickStamp;
+        }
+
+        int dt = (int)(tickStamp - _startStamp);
+        if (dt <= 0) {
+            return _start;
+        } else if (dt >= _duration) {
+            return _end;
+        } else {
+            return computeValue(dt);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This must be implemented by our derived class to compute our value
+     * given the specified elapsed time (in millis).
+     */
+    protected abstract int computeValue (int dt);
+
+    /** Our starting and ending values. */
+    protected int _start, _end;
+
+    /** The number of milliseconds over which we vary our value. */
+    protected int _duration;
+
+    /** The timestamp at which we began varying our value. */
+    protected long _startStamp;
+}