function preloadImages() {
if (document.images)  {

sizeButton =  new Image(261,48);
sizeButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
maskButton = new Image(261,48);
maskButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
vidMaskButton = new Image(261,48);
vidMaskButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
flashFormButton = new Image(261,48);
flashFormButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
flashButton = new Image(261,48);
flashButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
framesetButton = new Image(261,48);
framesetButtonOver = new Image(261,48);
transitionButton = new Image(261,48);
transitionButtonOver = new Image(261,48);

sizeButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/sizePos.png";
maskButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/mask.png";
vidMaskButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/vidMask.png";
flashFormButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/flashForm.png";
framesetButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/frameset.png";
flashButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/flashButton.png";
transitionButton.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/transition.png";
sizeButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/sizePosOver.png";
maskButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/maskOver.png";
vidMaskButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/vidMaskOver.png";
flashFormButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/flashFormOver.png";
framesetButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/framesetOver.png";
flashButtonOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/flashButtonOver.png";
transitionOver.src = "http://www.ddg-designs.com/graphics/transitionOver.png";

  }
}

//       ----------------------


//    the image swap functions for the HTML buttons...

function swapImageOver(thisImage) {
  if (document.images)  {
    imgOver = eval(thisImage + "Over.src");
    document[thisImage].src = imgOver;
    }
}

function swapImageDown(thisImage) {
  if (document.images)  {
    imgDown = eval(thisImage + "Over.src");
    document[thisImage].src = imgDown;
    }
}
function swapImageUp(thisImage)  {
  if (document.images)  {
    imgOut = eval(thisImage + ".src");
    document[thisImage].src = imgOut;
    }
}

//   ------------------------------