fading hover

[bartoszdesign]

for my new project i'm looking for some good solution to fade images in links on hover from b/w to color. i know this is a quiet often used effect, but i still like it. so, which way should i go?

1. the css solution is as far as i know not valid and i would like to keep it clean.

2. flash is one possibility, but not really useful, as i have already 15 link images as this moment and will have more in future...

3. animated gif takes as much time as flash (or even more)

4. i was looking for some javascript solutions as the site will be running jquery, but both solutions i have found were not really good and seemed incomplete.

Do you know some other solution or a working jquery one. I would appreciate your help a lot as this it becoming quiet frustrating.

[LeadMagnet]

A javascript solution won't work on all browsers because they don't all support the transparency that you need.
Flash is your best option afaik. I don't understand your reason for not wanting it. Flash isn't slow unless you make it slow.
Animated GIFs should never be considered.

[bartoszdesign]

it's not about the speed. it's more about manually editing 14 fades and more in future as my client will expand his portfolio. isn't there some sort of "dynamic" or "universal" solution, or is it just me getting lazy?

[Acuity]

flash way: Flash Animated Rollover Video Tutorial | Acuity Designs

to make it dynamic, wouldnt be hard, one .txt file - every time client wants a new menu item he just makes a new .swf and changes one line of AS and adds one line of text to .txt file. If its a list/menu you know exactly where the new menu links needs to appear - you can make it all and jus leave the lines for thse links empty in the .txt file and when your client enters a link/image for them it will appear where you defined in the swf you made.

[bartoszdesign]

in the end i took the more work-intensive way and did it in flash. i will post the work in progress later today... thanks for the help guys...