function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//speed for each frame
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;

	//determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
	if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
			{
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	}
}

//change the opacity for different browsers
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
	var object = document.getElementById(id).style;

    if(typeof object.opacity == "string") {
        object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    	object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    	object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    }
    else {
        object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
    }
}

function shiftOpacity(id, millisec) {
	//if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0) {
		opacity(id, 0, 100, millisec);
	} else {
		opacity(id, 100, 0, millisec);
	}
}

function blendimage(divid, imageid, imagefile, millisec) {
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;

	//set the current image as background
	document.getElementById(divid).style.backgroundImage = "url(" + document.getElementById(imageid).src + ")";

	//make image transparent
	changeOpac(0, imageid);

	//make new image
	document.getElementById(imageid).src = imagefile;

	//fade in image
	for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
		setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + imageid + "')",(timer * speed));
		timer++;
	}
}

function currentOpac(id, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//standard opacity is 100
	var currentOpac = 100;

	//if the element has an opacity set, get it
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity < 100) {
		currentOpac = document.getElementById(id).style.opacity * 100;
	}

	//call for the function that changes the opacity
	opacity(id, currentOpac, opacEnd, millisec)
}

var TimeToFade = 1000.0;

function fade(eid)
{
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
  if(element == null)
    return;

  if(element.FadeState == null)
  {
    if(element.style.opacity == null
        || element.style.opacity == ''
        || element.style.opacity == '1')
    {
      element.FadeState = 2;
    }
    else
    {
      element.FadeState = -2;
    }
  }

  if(element.FadeState == 1 || element.FadeState == -1)
  {
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? -1 : 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade - element.FadeTimeLeft;
  }
  else
  {
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 2 ? -1 : 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade;
    setTimeout("animateFade(" + new Date().getTime()
        + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
  }
}


function animateFade(lastTick, eid)
{
  var curTick = new Date().getTime();
  var elapsedTicks = curTick - lastTick;

  var element = document.getElementById(eid);

  if(element.FadeTimeLeft <= elapsedTicks)
  {
    element.style.opacity = element.FadeState == 1 ? '1' : '0';
    element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = '
        + (element.FadeState == 1 ? '100' : '0') + ')';
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? 2 : -2;
    return;
  }

  element.FadeTimeLeft -= elapsedTicks;
  var newOpVal = element.FadeTimeLeft/TimeToFade;
  if(element.FadeState == 1)
    newOpVal = 1 - newOpVal;

  element.style.opacity = newOpVal;
  element.style.filter =
      'alpha(opacity = ' + (newOpVal*100) + ')';

  setTimeout("animateFade(" + curTick
      + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
}