3dsmax

The 3dsmax-mcp MCP server acts as a bridge between Claude (and other agents like Codex or Gemini) and Autodesk 3ds Max. It opens a TCP-based command channel that allows agents to send MAXScript or Python-like commands to be executed inside 3ds Max, and then receive structured JSON responses. This enables autonomous scripting, scene manipulation, and batch operations directly from AI agents while keeping a secure safety boundary. The server relies on a MAXScript listener running in 3ds Max (on TCP port 8765) and a Python-based MCP server that relays commands to that listener.

To use it, start the MCP server via uv as configured, ensure 3ds Max is prepared with the required MAXScript listener files, and connect Claude or other agents to the MCP server. Agents can issue a wide range of tools (listed in the Current list of tools) such as building structures, placing objects on a grid, modifying materials, running arbitrary MAXScript, rendering, and inspecting scene data. Results are returned as JSON, enabling downstream agents to reason about the outcome and decide next steps.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ installed
• uv package manager installed (uv is used to run the MCP server)
• Autodesk 3ds Max 2025+ (2026 tested)
• A cloned copy of this repository

Installation steps

1. Clone the repo and navigate to it git clone https://github.com/cl0nazepamm/3dsmax-mcp.git cd 3dsmax-mcp

2. Install and verify uv

   • Ensure uv is installed and available in your PATH. If not, install uv according to the docs: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/
   • Validate by running: uv --version

3. Install dependencies and build skills (as described in the repository’s setup) uv sync python scripts/build_skill.py python scripts/register.py

4. Configure the MCP server for your environment See the mcp_config example below and adjust the directory paths to your setup.

5. Ensure 3ds Max is prepared with the required MAXScript listener files as described in the Setup steps (maxscript/mcp_server.ms and maxscript/startup/mcp_autostart.ms).

6. Start Claude/Agents to connect to the MCP server and begin issuing commands.

Tips and common notes:

• Ensure the path to the repository is correctly set in the mcp_config directory path when using uv run --directory.
• The MAXScript listener runs on TCP port 8765 once you place and restart the MAXScript files in 3ds Max as described.
• Safe mode (safeExecute) can be toggled in mcp_server.ms if you need to adjust security restrictions. By default, certain dangerous commands are blocked; to relax safety, edit the safeMode variable accordingly.
• If you encounter connectivity issues, verify that 3ds Max is running, the MAXScript listener has started, and the MCP server process can reach port 8765.
• For Claude integration, ensure the same skill is registered and visible to Claude’s app, and consider creating a global symlink/skill for convenience as described in the README.
• The tool list is extensive; start with basic scene operations (get_hierarchy, inspect_object, set_object_property) to validate communication before issuing more complex actions.