var detect = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
	var OS,browser,version,total,thestring;

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++;
        }
    }
    
    // ========================================================
    if( document.getElementById(id).style.visibility == 'hidden' )
    {
    	document.getElementById(id).style.visibility='visible';
    }
    else if( document.getElementById(id).style.visibility == 'visible' )
    {
    	document.getElementById(id).style.visibility='hidden';
    }
    // ========================================================    
}

//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 (checkIt('safari')) millisec = 0;
    
    if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0) {
        opacity(id, 0, 100, millisec);
    } else {
        opacity(id, 100, 0, millisec);
    }
} 


function checkIt(string)
{
	
	place = detect.indexOf(string) + 1;
	thestring = string;
	return place;
}