var loopcounter = 0;
var ismouseover = 0;
var maxzindex = 5;
//alert('hi');
//document.getElementById("news_1").innerHTML = "Test from Javascript";

function startticker() {

document.getElementById('news_1').innerHTML = 'Upcoming Free Seminar - Increasing profitability and effectiveness in agencies';
document.getElementById('news_2').innerHTML = '<a href="http://blog.grafx.co.uk" class="ticker_link">Grafx Launches its new series of blogs - Click to visit</a>';
document.getElementById('news_3').innerHTML = '';

	loopnews('START',100);
}

function loopnews(next,opacity) {

	if(next == 'START') {
		next = 1;
	}

	if(document.getElementById('news_2').innerHTML == '') {
		currentOpac('news_1', opacity, 200);
		return true;
	}

	thenextnewsitem = 'news_'+next;
	if(ismouseover == 0) {
	currentOpac(thenextnewsitem, opacity, 200);
	}
	
	if(opacity == 100) {
		nextopacity = 0;
		delay = 6000;
	} else {
		nextopacity = 100;
		delay = 500;
		// put it here????
		if(next == 2 && document.getElementById('news_3').innerHTML == '') {
			next = 1;	
		} else {
			next++;
		}

	}
	
	if(next == 4) {
		next = 1;
	}
	
//	nextnews = 'news_'+next;
	document.getElementById('news_'+next).style.zIndex = maxzindex;
	maxzindex++;
	setTimeout("loopnews('" + next + "'," + nextopacity + ")",delay);
	
	
}

function mouseover(isit) {
	ismouseover = isit;
}

function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//speed for each frame
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;

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

//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 + ")";
}

function shiftOpacity(id, millisec) {
	//if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0) {
		opacity(id, 0, 100, millisec);
	} else {
		opacity(id, 100, 0, millisec);
	}
}

function blendimage(divid, imageid, imagefile, millisec) {
	var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
	var timer = 0;
	
	//set the current image as background
	document.getElementById(divid).style.backgroundImage = "url(" + document.getElementById(imageid).src + ")";
	
	//make image transparent
	changeOpac(0, imageid);
	
	//make new image
	document.getElementById(imageid).src = imagefile;

	//fade in image
	for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
		setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + imageid + "')",(timer * speed));
		timer++;
	}
}

function currentOpac(id, opacEnd, millisec) {
	//standard opacity is 100
	var currentOpac = 100;
	
	//if the element has an opacity set, get it
	if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity < 100) {
		currentOpac = document.getElementById(id).style.opacity * 100;
	}

	//call for the function that changes the opacity
	opacity(id, currentOpac, opacEnd, millisec)
}