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) {
		if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity != opacEnd/100)
		{	
			for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
				setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
				timer++;
			}
		}
	} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity != opacEnd/100)
		{	
			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; 
	object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
	object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
}

function shiftOpacity(id, millisec, dir, amt) {
	//if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible
	if(dir == 0) {
		alert(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity)
		if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity != 1)
		{
			opacity(id, 0, amt, millisec);
		}
	} else {
		if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity != 1)
		{
			opacity(id, amt, 0, millisec);
		}	
	}
}

function blendimage(divid, imageid, imagefile, millisec) {
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;
	
	//make image transparent
	changeOpac(0, imageid);
	
	//make new image
	document.getElementById(imageid).src = imagefile;

	//fade in image
	for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
		if (i>10){
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + imageid + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
	}
	
}