var  TimeToFade = 250.0;

function fade(eid)
{
	
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
  if(element == null)
    return;
 element.style.opacity = 0;
  element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = 0)';
    
    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 = 1;
  element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = 100)';
    return;
  }

  element.FadeTimeLeft -= elapsedTicks;
  var newOpVal = element.FadeTimeLeft/TimeToFade;
    newOpVal = 1 - newOpVal;

  element.style.opacity = newOpVal;
  element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = ' + (newOpVal*100) + ')';


  setTimeout("animateFade(" + curTick + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
}