var TimeToFade = 700.0;

function fade(eid)
{
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
  if(element == null)
    return;

    element.FadeState = 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade;
    setTimeout("animateFade(" + new Date().getTime() + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
}



function animateFade(lastTick, eid)
{  
  var curTick = new Date().getTime();
  var elapsedTicks = curTick - lastTick;
 
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
 
  if(element.FadeTimeLeft <= elapsedTicks)
  {
    element.style.opacity = element.FadeState == 1 ? '1' : '0';
    element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = '
        + (element.FadeState == 1 ? '100' : '0') + ')';
    element.FadeState = 1;
    return;
  }
 
  element.FadeTimeLeft -= elapsedTicks;
  var newOpVal = element.FadeTimeLeft/TimeToFade;
  if(element.FadeState == 1)
    newOpVal = 1 - newOpVal;

  element.style.opacity = newOpVal;
  element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = ' + (newOpVal*100) + ')';
 
  setTimeout("animateFade(" + curTick + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
}