Pause and Blur
This example will demonstrate a simple pause screen(menu is not included), using Instance Deactivation and the sprite_create_from_screen function. It will also demonstrate a simple, real-time, blur effect achieved by using surfaces. The blur effect is accomplished by drawing the pause background onto the surface scaled down, then we draw the surface onto the screen scaled up. This gives a nice blur effect, but it has its downsides: Not all ocmputers are able to handle surfaces. For this reason I recommend making this feature optional if you are to use this in a game. Because of some of the functions used, particularly surfaces, this example requires Game Maker 8.0 Pro. Also, quick note: The "Interpolate Colors Between Pixels" option in the Global Game Settings must be on, otherwise the pause backgrond will be pixely and deformed.
