function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
//speed for each frame
var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
var timer = 0;
var map;



//determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
if(opacStart > opacEnd) {



	
	// FADE-OUT  ---------------------------------------------
	for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--){
	setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
	timer++;
	}
setTimeout("hideElement('"+id+"')",(timer * speed));



} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {

	// FADE-IN ------------------------------------------------
	
	if (map) map.closeInfoWindow();
	
	document.getElementById(id).style.visibility = 'visible';
	for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++){
	setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
	timer++;
	}
}
}//function

//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 + ")";
}


//if an element is invisible, deactivate it
function hideElement(id) {
	document.getElementById(id).style.visibility = 'hidden';
	return;
}//function