What causes "The Timelapse path '{folder}' does not exist" in deepfakes/faceswap?

Verify the folder exists from where you launch training: `ls -d `; fix typos or use absolute paths.

deepfakes/faceswap · error · FaceswapError

The Timelapse path ' ' does not exist

Error message

The Timelapse path '{folder}' does not exist

What it means

Raised when validating an enabled timelapse: the path given for --timelapse-input-A or --timelapse-input-B exists as a string but is not an existing directory (os.path.isdir is false). Faceswap needs to enumerate PNG files inside that folder to build the timelapse samples.

Solutions

Verify the folder exists from where you launch training: `ls -d <path>`; fix typos or use absolute paths.
If the folder is optional-but-intended, create it and populate it with extracted PNG faces first.
If the timelapse folder is the same as the training input folder, confirm the paths match exactly (same string/absolute form) so the later equality check applies — otherwise point it at the real directory.

Example fix

# before
python scripts/train.py ... --timelapse-input-A ./a_faces   # does not exist from this CWD

# after
python scripts/train.py ... --timelapse-input-A /abs/path/to/a_faces

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import os

def validate_timelapse_folder(path: str | None) -> bool:
    return path is None or os.path.isdir(os.path.abspath(path))

Prevention

Use absolute paths for timelapse folders in long-running training scripts.
Create/populate timelapse folders as part of the extract step so they exist before train starts.

When it happens

Trigger: Training with timelapse enabled where a timelapse input path is misspelled, points to a file instead of a folder, is not yet created, or uses a wrong relative path (relative to the launch CWD, not the training folders).

Common situations: Relative paths breaking when launching from a different working directory; pointing at a symlink whose target is gone; the folder living on an unmounted drive; leftover path from an older layout after moving the faces folder.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of deepfakes/faceswap@f530cb7508 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a0c20b82e3ca3574. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at scripts/train.py:172

        """
        if (not self._args.timelapse_input_a and
                not self._args.timelapse_input_b and
                not self._args.timelapse_output):
            return False
        if (not self._args.timelapse_input_a or
                not self._args.timelapse_input_b or
                not self._args.timelapse_output):
            raise FaceswapError("To enable the timelapse, you have to supply all the parameters "
                                "(--timelapse-input-A, --timelapse-input-B and "
                                "--timelapse-output).")

        timelapse_folders = [self._args.timelapse_input_a, self._args.timelapse_input_b]
        get_folder(self._args.timelapse_output)

        for idx, folder in enumerate(timelapse_folders):
            side = "a" if idx == 0 else "b"
            if folder is not None and not os.path.isdir(folder):
                raise FaceswapError(f"The Timelapse path '{folder}' does not exist")

            training_folder = getattr(self._args, f"input_{side}")
            if folder == training_folder:
                continue  # Time-lapse folder is training folder

            filenames = [os.path.join(folder, fname) for fname in os.listdir(folder)
                         if os.path.splitext(fname)[-1].lower() == ".png"]
            if not filenames:
                raise FaceswapError(f"The Timelapse path '{folder}' does not contain any valid "
                                    "images")

            self._validate_faceswap_image(filenames[0])
        logger.debug("[Train] Timelapse enabled")
        return True

    def process(self) -> None:
        """The entry point for triggering the Training Process.

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