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, 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)
}

function nextImage(o) {
    do o = o.nextSibling;
    while(o && o.tagName != 'IMG');
    return o;
}

//find first image inside an element
function firstChildImage(o) {
    
    o = o.firstChild;
        
    while(o && o.tagName != 'IMG') {
        o = o.nextSibling;
    }
    
    return o;
}

//set the opacity of an element to a specified value
function setOpacity(obj, o) {

    obj.style.opacity = (o / 100);
    obj.style.MozOpacity = (o / 100);
    obj.style.KhtmlOpacity = (o / 100);
    obj.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity=' + o + ')';
}

//make image invisible and set next one as current image
function getNextImage(image) {
	
    if (next = nextImage(image)) {
	image.style.display = 'none';
	image.style.zIndex = 0;

	next.style.display = 'block';
	next.style.zIndex = 100;

    } else {
	//if there is not a next image, get the first image again
	next = firstChildImage(image.parentNode);
    }

    return next;
}

//set default values for parameters and starting image
function blendImages(id, speed, pause, caption) {

    if(speed == null) {
        speed = 30;
    }
    
    if(pause == null) {
        pause = 1500;
    }

    var blend = document.getElementById(id);

    var image = firstChildImage(blend);

    startBlending(image, speed, pause, caption);
}

//make image a block-element and set the caption
function startBlending(image, speed, pause, caption) {

    image.style.display = 'block';

    if(caption != null) {
	document.getElementById(caption).innerHTML = image.alt;
    }

    continueFadeImage(image, 0, speed, pause, caption);
}

// ASC: copied from http://www.sean.co.uk/a/webdesign/javascriptdelay.shtm
function pausecomp(millis) {
    var date = new Date();
    var curDate = null;

    do { curDate = new Date(); }
    while(curDate-date < millis);
} 

//set an increased opacity and check if the image is done blending
function continueFadeImage(image, opacity, speed, pause, caption) {

    opacity = opacity + 3;

    if (opacity < 103) {

	setTimeout(function() {fadeImage(image, opacity, speed, pause, caption)}, speed);

    } else {
	//if the image is done, set it to the background and make it transparent
	image.parentNode.style.backgroundImage = "url("+image.src+")";

	// ASC: pause 1sec here to prevent MSIE image flash ...
	var paws=pause-1000;
	if (paws < 0 ) {
		paws = 0;
	}
	pausecomp(1000);

	setOpacity(image,0);
	//get the next image and start blending it again
	image = getNextImage(image);
	setTimeout(function() {startBlending(image, speed, pause, caption)}, paws);		
    }
}

//set the opacity to a new value and continue the fading
function fadeImage(image, opacity, speed, pause, caption) {
    setOpacity(image,opacity);
    continueFadeImage(image, opacity, speed, pause, caption);
}