function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec,url) {
    //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--) {
            if(i==opacEnd){
                setTimeout("nextpage('" + url + "')",(timer * speed));
                }
            else
                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 + ")";
}

/**
 *
 * @access public
 * @return void
 **/
function fadeContentTo(url){
    window.open(url,'mcontent');
    //opacity('mcontent', 100, 0, 500,url);
}
/**
 *
 * @access public
 * @return void
 **/


function nextpage(url){
    window.open(url,'mcontent');
    //opacity('mcontent', -100, 100, 1000);
}