function getElementPosition(oElement)
{

var posX = 0;
var posY = 0;
              
	while(oElement != null)
	{
	posX += oElement.offsetLeft;
	posY += oElement.offsetTop;
	oElement = oElement.offsetParent;
	}
                        		      
return {x:posX, y:posY};
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec, finishFunc) {
	//speed for each frame
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;
	//alert('start-trans');
	//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++;
		}

		if (finishFunc)
		{
		setTimeout(finishFunc, (timer * speed));
		}

	} else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
			{
			setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
			timer++;
		}

		if (finishFunc)
		{
		setTimeout(finishFunc, (timer * speed));
		}
	}
}

//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 + ")";
}