3dsmax-mcp

MCP server that connects AI agents to Autodesk 3ds Max. Works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Gemini, and any MCP-compatible client.

What's new in 0.5.0

• Native C++ Bridge — 76 handlers running inside 3ds Max as a GUP plugin, 86-130x faster than MAXScript
• One-step installer — uv run python install.py handles everything
• Multi-view capture — pure SDK viewport switching, no MAXScript re-entrancy
• Controller & wiring tools — assign controllers, wire parameters, inspect track views
• PB1 fallback — legacy primitives (Capsule, Hedra, etc.) now get correct params
• 110 tools across scene, objects, materials, modifiers, controllers, viewport, introspection.
• Bundled MAXScript reference — 10 topic files for agents to write correct MAXScript

Architecture

Agent  <-->  FastMCP (Python/stdio)  <-->  Named Pipe  <-->  C++ GUP Plugin  <-->  3ds Max SDK
                                      |
                                      +--> TCP:8765 fallback --> MAXScript listener

The native bridge runs inside 3ds Max as a Global Utility Plugin. It reads the scene graph directly through the C++ SDK and communicates over Windows named pipes. 76 native handlers for scene, objects, materials, modifiers, controllers, viewport, introspection, and more.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• uv
• Autodesk 3ds Max 2026 (2024/2025 supported via MAXScript fallback)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/cl0nazepamm/3dsmax-mcp.git
cd 3dsmax-mcp
uv sync
uv run python install.py

The installer will:

• Detect your 3ds Max installation
• Deploy the native bridge plugin (.gup)
• Install the MAXScript listener (TCP fallback)
• Build skill files for your agents
• Register with Claude Code / Codex / Gemini / Claude Desktop

Restart 3ds Max and any running agents after installation.

Manual registration

If the installer can't find your agent, register manually:

Claude Code / Codex / Gemini:

claude mcp add --scope user 3dsmax-mcp -- uv run --directory "C:\path\to\3dsmax-mcp" 3dsmax-mcp

Claude Desktop — add to %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "3dsmax-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "C:\\path\\to\\3dsmax-mcp", "3dsmax-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Updating

git pull
uv sync
uv run python install.py

Skill file

The skill file teaches agents how to use the tools, what pitfalls to avoid, and how 3ds Max works. Without it, agents will guess wrong on material workflows, controller paths, and plugin APIs. The installer builds and deploys it automatically.

If you need to rebuild manually:

python scripts/build_skill.py

Safe mode

Both the native bridge and the MAXScript listener read from a shared config:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\3dsmax-mcp\mcp_config.ini

[mcp]
safe_mode = true

When enabled (default), these commands are blocked: DOSCommand, ShellLaunch, deleteFile, python.Execute, createFile

To disable, set safe_mode = false and restart 3ds Max.

Tools

110 tools across scene management, objects, materials, modifiers, controllers, wiring, viewport capture, file access, plugin introspection, tyFlow, Forest Pack, RailClone, Data Channel, and more.

Category	Tools	Transport
Scene reads	get_scene_info, get_selection, get_scene_snapshot, get_selection_snapshot, get_scene_delta, get_hierarchy	C++
Objects	create_object, delete_objects, transform_object, clone_objects, select_objects, set_object_property, set_visibility, set_parent	C++/Hybrid
Inspection	inspect_object, inspect_properties, introspect_class, introspect_instance, walk_references, learn_scene_patterns, map_class_relationships	C++
Materials	assign_material, set_material_properties, get_material_slots, create_texture_map, write_osl_shader, create_shell_material, replace_material	Hybrid
Modifiers	add_modifier, remove_modifier, set_modifier_state, collapse_modifier_stack, batch_modify	Hybrid
Controllers	assign_controller, inspect_controller, inspect_track_view, set_controller_props, add_controller_target	Hybrid
Wiring	wire_params, unwire_params, get_wired_params, list_wireable_params	Hybrid
Viewport	capture_viewport, capture_multi_view, capture_screen, render_scene	C++
Organization	manage_layers, manage_groups, manage_selection_sets, manage_scene	C++
File access	inspect_max_file, merge_from_file, search_max_files, batch_file_info	C++
Plugins	discover_plugin_classes, introspect_class, introspect_instance, get_plugin_capabilities	C++
Scene events	watch_scene, get_scene_delta	C++
tyFlow	create_tyflow, get_tyflow_info, modify_tyflow_operator, set_tyflow_shape, reset_tyflow_simulation	MAXScript
Forest Pack	scatter_forest_pack	MAXScript
Data Channel	add_data_channel, inspect_data_channel, set_data_channel_operator	MAXScript
Scripting	execute_maxscript	Pipe

v0.5.2 Notice

Deleted the procedural placement tools (kept floor plan — will update that to be actually useful) and removed verified workflows. The native bridge already handles verification and the verified tools were causing crashes.

Building from source (native bridge)

Only needed if you want to modify the C++ plugin.

Requires: 3ds Max 2026 SDK, Visual Studio 2022, CMake 3.20+

cd native
cmake -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64
cmake --build build --config Release

Then copy native/build/Release/mcp_bridge.gup to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2026\plugins\.