var TimeToFade = 500.0;

function fade(eid, padonde){

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

  if(element.FadeState == null){
    element.FadeState = padonde;
  }

  if(element.FadeState == 1 || element.FadeState == -1){
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? -1 : 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade - element.FadeTimeLeft;
  } else {
    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);
}