Shifter: Guide Export: Fix metadata refresh and speed up export

Fix metadata not updating on export by syncing paramDefs cache in
refresh_user_metadata. Reuse parsed guide instance instead of
double setFromHierarchy call for faster export. Fix docstring style
to Google convention and sort imports in core/utils.py.

Author: miquelcampos

release/scripts/mgear/core/utils.py

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 """Utility functions"""
 
 
+import datetime
+import getpass
 import os
 import sys
 import timeit
 from functools import wraps
-import datetime
-import getpass
 
 from maya import cmds
 import mgear.pymaya as pm
@@ -446,14 +446,14 @@ def get_maya_path():
 
 
 def get_user_metadata():
+    """Get current user metadata.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: Username, date, Maya version, and mGear version.
     """
-    :return: User metadata including username, date, Maya version, and mGear version.
-    :rtype: dict[str, str]
-    """
-    data = {
+    return {
         "user": getpass.getuser(),
         "date": str(datetime.datetime.now()),
         "maya_version": str(mel.eval("getApplicationVersionAsFloat")),
         "gear_version": mgear.getVersion(),
     }
-    return data

release/scripts/mgear/shifter/guide.py

@@ -1081,9 +1081,17 @@ def get_guide_template_dict(self, meta=None):
         return self.guide_template_dict
 
     def refresh_user_metadata(self):
+        """Update guide metadata attrs with current user info.
+
+        Refreshes user, date, maya_version, and gear_version on the
+        guide root node and internal paramDefs cache so exported
+        templates reflect the current session rather than values
+        from when the guide was created.
+        """
         for k, v in utils.get_user_metadata().items():
-            attr = self.model.attr(k)
-            attr.set(v)
+            self.model.attr(k).set(v)
+            if k in self.paramDefs:
+                self.paramDefs[k].value = v
 
     def addOptionsValues(self):
         """Gather or change some options values according to some others.

release/scripts/mgear/shifter/io.py

@@ -158,7 +158,12 @@ def export_guide_template(filePath=None, meta=None, conf=None, *args):
             rig = shifter.Rig()
             rig.guide.setFromHierarchy(selection[0])
             rig.guide.refresh_user_metadata()
-        conf = get_template_from_selection(meta)
+            conf = rig.guide.get_guide_template_dict(meta)
+        else:
+            pm.displayWarning(
+                "Guide root or guide component must be selected"
+            )
+            return
     if conf:
         data_string = json.dumps(conf, indent=4, sort_keys=True)
         if not filePath: