Simple tool to load and save animation poses in Autodesk Maya using .json files.

pose_tool.py

''''
Name: pose_tool.py
Description: Simple tool to load and save poses in Autodesk Maya using .json files.
Author: Joar Engberg 2022

'''

import json
import sys
import maya.cmds as cmds
import maya.OpenMayaUI as omui
from collections import OrderedDict
from shiboken2 import wrapInstance
from PySide2 import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets


def maya_main_window():
    # Return the Maya main window as QMainWindow
    main_window = omui.MQtUtil.mainWindow()
    if sys.version_info.major >= 3:
        return wrapInstance(int(main_window), QtWidgets.QWidget)
    else:
        return wrapInstance(long(main_window), QtWidgets.QWidget) # type: ignore

class PoseToolWindow(QtWidgets.QDialog):
    pose_folder_path = None
    def __init__(self):
        super(PoseToolWindow, self).__init__(maya_main_window())
        self.setWindowTitle("Simple Pose Tool")
        self.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(":character.svg"))
        
        self.setWindowFlags(self.windowFlags() ^ QtCore.Qt.WindowContextHelpButtonHint)
        self.resize(200, 80)
        self.create_ui_widgets()
        self.create_ui_layout()
        self.create_ui_connections()

        if cmds.about(macOS=True):
            self.setWindowFlags(QtCore.Qt.Tool)
 
    def create_ui_widgets(self):
        self.text_label = QtWidgets.QLabel("Save/load pose from/to selected controllers or joints:")
        self.save_button = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Save pose ...")
        self.load_button = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Load pose ...")

    def create_ui_layout(self):
        main_layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout(self)
        main_layout.setContentsMargins(10, 10, 10, 10)
        main_layout.addWidget(self.text_label)
        main_layout.addWidget(self.save_button)
        main_layout.addWidget(self.load_button)
        main_layout.addStretch()
 
    def create_ui_connections(self):
        self.save_button.clicked.connect(self.save_pose_dialog)
        self.load_button.clicked.connect(self.load_pose_dialog)

    def pose_folder_dialog(self):
        folder_path = QtWidgets.QFileDialog.getExistingDirectory(self, "Select pose folder path", "")
        if folder_path:
            self.pose_filepath_line.setText(folder_path)
            self.pose_folder_path = folder_path
            self.refresh_pose_widgets()

    def save_pose_dialog(self):
        file_path = QtWidgets.QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(self, "Save pose file", self.pose_folder_path, "Pose file (*.json);;All files (*.*)")
        if file_path[0]:
            self.save_pose(file_path[0])
            print("Saved pose: "+file_path[0])

    def load_pose_dialog(self):
        file_path = QtWidgets.QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(self, "Save pose file", self.pose_folder_path, "Pose file (*.json);;All files (*.*)")
        if file_path[0]:
            self.load_pose(file_path[0])
            print("Loaded pose: "+file_path[0])

    def save_pose(self, pose_path):
        controllers = cmds.ls(sl=True)
        controller_dict = OrderedDict()
        attr_dict = OrderedDict()

        for ctrl in controllers:
            keyable_attr_list = cmds.listAttr(ctrl, keyable=True, unlocked=True)

            for attr in keyable_attr_list:
                attr_value = cmds.getAttr(ctrl+"."+attr)
                attr_dict[attr] = attr_value

            controller_dict[ctrl] = attr_dict
            attr_dict = {}
        save_path = pose_path

        with open(save_path,"w") as jsonFile:
            json.dump(controller_dict, jsonFile, indent=4)

    def load_pose(self, file_path):
        pose_data = json.load(open(file_path))
        self.active_controls = []
        for ctrl, input in pose_data.iteritems():
            for attr, value in input.iteritems():
                cmds.setAttr(ctrl+"."+attr, value)
            self.active_controls.append(ctrl)

def start():
    global pose_tool_ui
    try:
        pose_tool_ui.close()
        pose_tool_ui.deleteLater()
    except:
        pass
    pose_tool_ui = PoseToolWindow()
    pose_tool_ui.show()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    start()