I have been searching for a way to clone pixels form a layer to another layer (preferably an adjustment layer for my case) with out doing a duplication.
I have found that if you apply the "Channel Combiner" effect to the adjustment layer (or any other layer) and set the "Source Layer" option to the target layer that you want to clone, then change the "From" option to "Straight to Premultiplied" you get the desired result.
![Picture 01.png]()
Now, as you can see, you have an instance of the pixels of the target layer to the destination layer "Instance" (in this case).
At this point I want to shift the time in "Instance" layer, so that, time is stretched or shifted from the destination layer (or pixels are duplicated from destination layer) to cover the frames before the cut maker.
![Picture 02.png]()
I applied the 'Timewarp" effect but that didn't work the pixels turned into black as you can see below.
![Picture 03.png]()
Then I tried to apply the "Time Stretch..." function from the layer menu however it didn't have any effect on the "Instance" layer.
At that point, I remembered that "Time Remapping" option and time effects works with the channels of the main layers and does not apply to empty layers (that does not have pixels or key frames like my layer).
This the equivalent of the result that I want to achieve with the "Instance" layer in the picture below.
![Picture 04.png]()
So I'm wondering if there is an expression, a trick or a hack to achieve this result with after effects.
I hope that the images have clarified more the situation.
i.e: I change the "Instance" layer (adjustment layer) to a composition, solid or a null object.
I want to thank your for the time put to read this (long) thread, and for the other time that you will put if you are going to use your experience and your valuable knowledge to think with me for a solution.