function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec, message_delay) {
	//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
	// fade out
	if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}	
		setTimeout("showmessage("+message_delay+")",(timer * speed));
	} else 
	// fade in
	  if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
			{
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}
		// now set event for fading out in message_delay seconds
		setTimeout("opacity('"+id+"',100,0,"+millisec+","+message_delay+")",1000 * message_delay);
	}
}

//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)
}


// currentmessage and num_messages are globals set in the template
function showmessage(delay) {
  // choose the next message
  document.getElementById('messages').innerHTML = messages[currentmessage];
  currentmessage ++;
  if (currentmessage == num_messages) currentmessage = 0;
  // then set a delay before being called again ($delay seconds)
  // setTimeout('showmessage()',1000 * delay);

  // set timer for fade in
  setTimeout('opacity(\"messages\",0,100,250,'+delay+')',0);
}

// currentmessage and num_messages are globals set in the template
function startmessages(delay) {
  // set opacity to zero (to start)
  changeOpac(0, 'messages');
  setTimeout('showmessage('+delay+')',1000);
}