multi-step node creation form

ok, i posted regarding this issue before but received no reply...

I'm trying to get the create node form for a node type i defined in a module to be multi-step.

The problem i encountered is this: unlike regular multi-step form where one controls his submit function, in the case of the node create form the submittal of the form is triggered with every click on the submit button. This is where the nodeapi hook should have come handy but it not very useful as the only way to suppress the form submittal is using $op = validate, but that isn't very useful here.

Then i thought of using druapl_execute() to submit the entire form (as a regular one page form) but that impossible too since hook_form($node) has to receive the $node var so drupal_execute can help there as it can only receive the id of the form but not any variables passed to the form.

So basically i am stuck and can't create the multi-step node creation form.

would really appreciate any ideas here.

thanks