sketchfab

This Sketchfab MCP Server enables conversational access to Sketchfab's model platform through MCP-enabled clients like Claude or Cursor. It supports searching for 3D models, retrieving detailed model information, and downloading models in multiple formats (gltf, glb, usdz, or source). The server exposes three primary tools: sketchfab-search for keyword and filter-based model search, sketchfab-model-details to fetch comprehensive details of a specific model, and sketchfab-download to fetch a model in a preferred format to a specified location. To use it, run the server with your API key (either via the --api-key parameter or by setting the SKETCHFAB_API_KEY environment variable). Then call the tools with the appropriate parameters (query, tags, categories, modelId, format, and outputPath) as described in the README. In Chat or automation workflows, you can construct requests that invoke search results, fetch metadata for a model, or download assets directly from Sketchfab for downstream rendering or analysis.

Prerequisites: Node.js 18 or higher, and a Sketchfab API key. Follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository

   • git clone https://github.com/gregkop-sketchfab-mcp-server.git
   • cd sketchfab-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies

   • npm install

3. Build the project

   • npm run build

4. Run the server (with API key)

   • npm start
   • Or run directly with a key: node build/index.js --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

5. Optional: set the API key via environment variable

   • export SKETCHFAB_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY
   • npm start

Tips and considerations:

• Ensure your Sketchfab API key has the necessary permissions for the endpoints you plan to use.
• If you encounter network or rate-limiting issues, consider adding retry logic in your client or respecting Sketchfab's usage limits.
• The environment variable SKETCHFAB_API_KEY is an alternative to passing --api-key on startup; either method will authenticate requests.
• When downloading models, specify a suitable outputPath to control where files are saved, and choose a format compatible with your workflow (gltf/glb for most pipelines, usdz for Apple ecosystem, or source for raw files).
• If you need to update the server, rebuild after pulling changes with npm run build.