Project pose libraries,
without the project overhead.
Kagura saves pose-bone transforms in a named project library and lets every connected .blend use them. This guide covers the complete current workflow.
01 — Installation
Install the extension ZIP
Kagura is distributed as a Blender extension. Keep the downloaded ZIP intact.
Open Blender Preferences
Choose Edit → Preferences → Get Extensions.
Install from disk
Open the menu in the upper-right corner, choose Install from Disk, and select the Kagura ZIP without unpacking it.
Open Pose Mode
Select an armature, enter Pose Mode, and find the Kagura tab in the 3D Viewport sidebar (N).
Updating: install the newer ZIP through the same extension controls. Keep project libraries in place; they are stored separately from the installed add-on.
02 — Projects
Connect the scene to its production
A Kagura project is a pose library shared by multiple Blender files on the same computer. Create it once, then select it from every scene in the production.
New project
Choose a clear production name. Kagura creates an empty external library and connects the current scene.
Existing project
Select an existing project in a new scene, then save the .blend so it remembers that link.
Rename or disconnect
Rename the shared project when needed, or disconnect only the current scene without deleting its poses.
Remove deliberately
Deleting a project affects every linked scene. Kagura asks you to type the exact project name and creates a recovery copy.
Where the data lives: the .blend stores the project link, not the pose library itself. If you move the file to another computer, the project will appear unavailable until its library is transferred and selected there.
03 — Capture poses
Save only the controls that define the pose
Select pose bones
In Pose Mode, select the controls you want Kagura to store. Unselected bones are not included.
Open the destination
Create or expand the collection for the character, sequence, shot family, or gesture type.
Save inside the collection
Choose Save new pose inside that collection and enter the pose name. Kagura stores each selected bone's basis transform under its bone name.
Rig matching: poses resolve bones by name. The target armature must contain matching names for those transforms to apply.
04 — Use and edit poses
Choose how much of the pose to restore
| Control | Result |
|---|---|
| Pose name / check | Apply stored transforms only to the bones currently selected in the armature. |
| Key | Apply all matching bones in the stored pose and insert LocRotScale keyframes. |
| Bone | Select the pose's matching bones in the current armature. |
| Arrow | Open pose actions: rename, duplicate, move, overwrite, or delete. |
Use search to narrow a larger library. Collection filters keep one character or category in view without changing the stored poses.
Overwrite is intentional: it replaces the stored transforms with the current transforms of the relevant pose bones. A backup is written before the library changes.
05 — Import, export, and migration
Move libraries without turning them into scenes
Share or archive
Export a library as JSON when moving it to another workstation or keeping a production archive.
Bring poses in
Merge a compatible Kagura JSON library into the current project without overwriting poses that already exist.
Older Kagura libraries
Migrate poses from the original global library into a project. The old source remains untouched.
Recover previous data
Kagura keeps safety copies around writes and destructive project operations.
Project transfer: exporting and importing is the explicit transfer path. Kagura does not currently provide cloud synchronization.
06 — Shortcuts
Import and export from Pose Mode
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + Shift + E | Export the Kagura pose library. |
| Alt + Shift + I | Import a Kagura pose library. |
Shortcuts are registered for Blender's Pose keymap and are active while working in Pose Mode.
07 — Safety and recovery
Predictable behavior around shared data
- Save the .blend after connecting a project so the scene retains its project reference.
- Project deletion requires the exact project name and produces a recovery copy.
- Kagura detects when another Blender window changed the library and avoids silently overwriting newer data.
- If a project is unavailable, reconnect it before adding or editing poses; the scene data alone does not contain the library.
- Export a JSON archive before moving or retiring an important production library.
08 — Release notes
Recent Kagura milestones
The public notes group capabilities by what animators can now do. Internal maintenance and website plumbing stay in the development record.
View all releases →09 — Compatibility and boundaries
What the current build supports
| Blender | Built for Blender 4.2 and later. Verified with Blender 5.2 LTS on Linux. |
| Operating systems | Linux is verified. Windows and macOS have not yet been formally tested. |
| Stored pose data | Pose-bone basis transforms: location, rotation, and scale. |
| Not stored | Constraints, custom properties, animation curves, thumbnails, and rig remapping. |
| Project sync | Local external libraries with explicit JSON import and export; no cloud synchronization. |
If a workflow depends on something outside this contract, test it on a copy of the production first. Kagura stays useful by being precise about what it owns.
Read the changelog →