fade = {
    step: 18,
    speed : 0.1,
    finalOpacity : 30,
    currentOpacity : 100,
    elID : null,
    init : function(el) {
        fade.elID = el;
      if(arguments.length>1)
      {
         fade.currentOpacity=arguments[1];
         fade.finalOpacity=arguments[2];
         fade.speed=arguments[3];
         if(fade.currentOpacity<fade.finalOpacity)fade.step*=-1;
      }
      if(arguments.length>4)fade.step=arguments[4];
        if (!document.getElementById(el)) return;
            fadeInterval = setInterval('fade.doFade()',fade.speed);
    },
    doFade : function(obj) {
        obj = document.getElementById(fade.elID);
        if (fade.step>0&&(fade.currentOpacity-fade.step>fade.finalOpacity)) {
            var newOpacity = fade.currentOpacity - fade.step;
          if(newOpacity<10)newOpacity='0'+newOpacity;
            obj.style.opacity = "."+(newOpacity);
            obj.style.filter = "alpha(opacity="+newOpacity+")";
            fade.currentOpacity = newOpacity;
        }
        else if (fade.step<0&&(fade.currentOpacity-fade.step<fade.finalOpacity)) {
            var newOpacity = fade.currentOpacity - fade.step;
          if(newOpacity<10)newOpacity='0'+newOpacity;
            obj.style.opacity = "."+(newOpacity);
            obj.style.filter = "alpha(opacity="+newOpacity+")";
            fade.currentOpacity = newOpacity;
        }
      else {
          var newOpacity = fade.finalOpacity;
          if(newOpacity<10)newOpacity='0'+newOpacity;
            obj.style.opacity = "."+(newOpacity);
            obj.style.filter = "alpha(opacity="+newOpacity+")";
            fade.currentOpacity = newOpacity;
            clearInterval(fadeInterval);
        }
    }
}