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 shiftOpacity(id, max, millisec) { 
    //if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible
    var obj = document.getElementById(id).style;
    if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0){
        obj.display = "";
        opacity(id, 0, max, millisec); 
    } else { 
        opacity(id, max, 0, millisec); 
        setTimeout("document.getElementById('" + id + "').style.display = 'none';", millisec);
    }
}