     private var _blendMode:String = "auto";  
     private var blendModeChanged:Boolean;
 	private var blendShaderChanged:Boolean;
-    private var blendModeExplicitlySet:Boolean;
 
     [Inspectable(category="General", enumeration="auto,add,alpha,darken,difference,erase,hardlight,invert,layer,lighten,multiply,normal,subtract,screen,overlay,colordodge,colorburn,exclusion,softlight,hue,saturation,color,luminosity", defaultValue="auto")]
 

    {
        super.commitProperties();
        
        if (blendModeChanged && !blendShaderChanged)
        {
            blendModeChanged = false;
            if (_blendMode == "auto" && alpha < 1 && alpha > 0)
                super.blendMode = BlendMode.LAYER;
            else if (_blendMode == "auto" && alpha == 1 || alpha == 0)
                super.blendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL;
            else 
                super.blendMode = _blendMode; 			
        }
		
		if (blendShaderChanged)
		{
			// The graphic element's blendMode was set to a non-Flash 
			// blendMode. We mimic the look by instantiating the 
			// appropriate shader class and setting the blendShader
			// property on the displayObject. 
			blendShaderChanged = false; 
			switch(_blendMode)
			{
				case "color": 
				{
					super.blendShader = new ColorShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "colordodge":
				{
					super.blendShader = new ColorDodgeShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "colorburn":
				{
					super.blendShader = new ColorBurnShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "exclusion":
				{
					super.blendShader = new ExclusionShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "hue":
				{
					super.blendShader = new HueShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "luminosity":
				{
					super.blendShader = new LuminosityShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "saturation": 
				{
					super.blendShader = new SaturationShader();
					break; 
				}
				case "softlight":
				{
					super.blendShader = new SoftLightShader();
					break; 
				}
			}
		}
        
        if (needsDisplayObjectAssignment)
        {

     *  If you attempt to set this property to an invalid value, 
     *  Flash Player or Adobe AIR sets the value to <code>BlendMode.NORMAL</code>. 
     *
     *  <p>A value of "auto" (the default) is specific to Group's use of 
     *  blendMode and indicates that the underlying blendMode should be 
     *  <code>BlendMode.NORMAL</code> except when <code>alpha</code> is not
     *  equal to either 0 or 1, when it will be set to <code>BlendMode.LAYER</code>. 
     *  This behavior ensures that groups will have correct
     *  compositing of their graphic objects when the group is translucent.</p>
     * 
     *  @default "auto"
     *
     *  @see flash.display.DisplayObject#blendMode
