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 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++;
            }
        }