function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
			//speed for each frame
			var speed = Math.round(millisec / 50);
			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++;
				}
			}
			
			return 1;
		}
		
		//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) {
			//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)
		}