var TimeToFade = 1500.0;

function fade(eid, newContent){	
	var element = document.getElementById(eid);
	if(element == null)
		return;
	
	if(element.FadeState == null){
		element.FadeState = -2;
	}
	
	if(element.FadeState == 1 || element.FadeState == -1){
		element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? -1 : 1;
		element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade - element.FadeTimeLeft;	
	}else{
		element.innerHTML = document.getElementById(newContent).innerHTML;
		element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 2 ? -1 : 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 = element.FadeState == 1 ? 2 : -2;

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);
}