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;
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
}

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)
}

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

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

    setTimeout("document.getElementById('"+imageid+"').src='/loading.gif'",
	       (timer * speed));
    timer+=150;

    //make new image
    setTimeout("document.getElementById('"+imageid+"').src='"+imagefile+"'",
	       (timer * speed));
    timer+=5;

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