//ref to the html element that should be faded.
var fadeObject = null;

//fades in and out a panel.
function FadeInOutPanel(id)
{
	fadeObject = new MakeObject(id);

	setTimeout("opacity(0, 100, 1000);", 3000);
	setTimeout("opacity(100, 0, 1000);", 10000);
}

function FadeIn(id)
{
	fadeObject = new MakeObject(id);
	opacity(0, 100, 200);
}

function FadeOut(id)
{
	fadeObject = new MakeObject(id);
	opacity(100, 0, 200);
}

function opacity(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) 
    { 
		setTimeout("hideFadeObject()", millisec + 50);
		
        for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) 
        { 
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ")",(timer * speed)); 
            timer++; 
        } 
    } 
    else if(opacStart < opacEnd) 
    { 
		fadeObject.css.visibility = "visible";
		
        for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++) 
        { 
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ")",(timer * speed)); 
            timer++; 
        } 
    } 
} 

function hideFadeObject()
{
	fadeObject.css.visibility = "hidden";
}

//change the opacity for different browsers 
function changeOpac(opacity) 
{ 
    fadeObject.css.opacity = (opacity / 100); 
    fadeObject.css.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100); 
    fadeObject.css.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100); 
    fadeObject.css.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")"; 
}