$j = jQuery.noConflict();

var slides = '';
var thumbnails = '';
var slide_active = 0;

// width of the scrolling area
var pics_start = parseInt($j("#picsrows ul").css('left'));
var pics_count = $j("#picsrows li").length;
var pics_row = 3;
var pics_item_width = 144;
var pics_width = Math.ceil(pics_count / pics_row) * pics_item_width;

$j("#picsrows ul").css('width', pics_width+'px');

// width of the visible area
var container_width = parseInt($j("#picsrows").css('width'));

// hidden aread
var hidden_width = pics_width - container_width + pics_item_width;

var scrolling = 0;

function scroll_pics(how)
{
  var direction = how < 0 ? -1 : 1;  
  var by = pics_item_width * how;
  var left = parseInt($j("#picsrows ul").css('left'));
  
  if (left < -hidden_width) left = -hidden_width;
  if (left > pics_start) left = pics_start;

  if (left + by >= -hidden_width && left + by <= pics_start) {
      scrolling = 1;
      jQuery("#picsrows ul").animate({
          left: (left + by) + "px"
      }, 250, false, function() { scrolling = 0; });
  } else {
    var h = Math.abs(how);
    h--;
    scroll_pics(h * direction);
  }
}