SMUSH

SMUSH is the name of a custom multimedia tool created by Vincent Lee during the production of Star Wars: Rebel Assault.

Initially it was created as a data compression and streming tool, supporting several methods and algorithms, so that it could produce the optimal quality and performance in the smaller data size: every animation frame is reduced to "rudimentary elements" and then reconstructed to its initial state during play back from the CD media.

It was expanded with further features to become a design and editing tool, able to move elements and events; SMUSH understands objects as "animation blocks" (including pre-rendered scenery, 2D cutscenes, effects, music etc) as entities along a timeline. This earned Lee the position of project leader and designer on Rebel Assault.

Initially the compression resulted to very poor quality graphics, and during the development of the game, Lee had to improve the compression algorithms and test with several kinds of texture maps to prefer those that could retain the textures and edge details. The best compressoin method was chosen for each scene, depending on its type of imagery and amount of animation.

Its audio element, for incorporating and editing sound, is a multitrack playback system that supports four channels: music, voice/radio and two for overlapping sound effects. Sound Engineer Clint Bajakian found it revolutionary, compared to contermporary games that had single-channel digital audio.