var opacity      = 0;
          var max_opacity  = 100;
          var min_opacity  = 0;
          var opacity_step = 2;
          var fade_delay   = 4;
          var faderTimer   = null;
          var inOutTimer   = null;
          var pauseTimer   = null;
          var fading       = false;
          var fadeIn       = true;
          var fadeOut      = false;
          var fadePause    = false;
          var suspend_fade = false;
          var refresh      = false;
          var counter = 0;

          function fade_in() {
             if (fading || suspend_fade) return;
             refresh = false;
             fadeIn = false;
             fadeOut = false;
             fadePause = false;
             fading = true;
             opacity = min_opacity;
             faderTimer = window.setInterval('fade_image(true)',50);
          }

          function fade_out() {
             if (fading || suspend_fade) return;
             fadeIn = false;
             fadeOut = false;
             fadePause = false;
             fading = true;
             opacity = max_opacity;
             faderTimer = window.setInterval('fade_image(false)',50);
          }

          function fade_image(x) {
             if (suspend_fade) {window.clearInterval(faderTimer); opacity = max_opacity; setOpacity(); return; }
             if ((x && opacity > max_opacity) || (!x && opacity < min_opacity)) {
                window.clearInterval(faderTimer);
                if (!x) refresh = true;
                if (x) fadePause = true;
                fading = false;
                return;
             }
             setOpacity();
             if (x) {
               opacity += opacity_step;
             }
             else {
               opacity -= opacity_step;
             }
          }

          function setOpacity() {
             var waarde = 100 - opacity;
             var obj = document.getElementById("splash_images_fade");
             obj.style.opacity = waarde / 100;
             obj.style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + waarde + ")";  // IE
             //obj.style.filter  = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";  // older IE's
          }

          function fade_Pause() {
             fadeIn = false;
             fadeOut = false;
             fadePause = false;
             counter = fade_delay;
             pauseTimer = window.setInterval('secDelay()',1000);
          }

          function secDelay(n) {
              counter--;
              if (counter <= 0) {
                 window.clearInterval(pauseTimer);
                 fadeOut = true;
              }
          }

          function fade_sequence() {
             if (suspend_fade) {
                window.clearInterval(inOutTimer);
                window.clearInterval(faderTimer);
             }
             if (fadeIn && !fading && !refresh && !suspend_fade) fade_in();
             if (fadePause && !fading && !refresh && !suspend_fade)  fade_Pause();
             if (fadeOut && !fading && !refresh && !suspend_fade)  fade_out();
             if (refresh && !suspend_fade) {
                refresh = false;
                splash();
                fadeIn = true;
             }
          }

          function fadeImage() {
             suspend_fade = false;
             refresh      = false;
             fadeIn       = true;
             fadeOut      = false;
             fadePause    = false;
             fading       = false;
             inOutTimer   = window.setInterval('fade_sequence()',200);
          }

          function fadeOutImage() {
             suspend_fade = false;
             refresh      = false;
             fadeIn       = false;
             fadeOut      = true;
             fadePause    = false;
             fading       = false;
             inOutTimer   = window.setInterval('fade_sequence()',200);
          }