sketchup

SketchupMCP connects Sketchup to Claude AI via MCP, enabling Claude to prompt and control Sketchup models through a TCP-based Model Context Protocol integration. The Python MCP server exposes commands to inspect scenes, manage components and materials, transform objects, and even run arbitrary Ruby code inside SketchUp for advanced operations. Once the Sketchup extension server and the MCP server are running, Claude can issue structured commands such as get_scene_info, get_selected_components, create_component, transform_component, set_material, export_scene, and eval_ruby to interact with a live Sketchup session.

To use it, first ensure the Sketchup extension is installed and the MCP Python server is running. Then configure Claude to point at the MCP server using the uvx runner, which pulls the sketchup-mcp package from PyPI. After connection, you can begin issuing natural language prompts or explicit tool requests (e.g., create a component, move a component, change a material) and Claude will translate them into the MCP protocol payloads for Sketchup.

Prerequisites:

• SketchUp installed with Extension Manager access
• macOS or Linux environment for running the MCP server
• Python environment (for the SketchupMCP Python package) with uv (uvx) available

Installation steps:

1. Install the MCP runner (uvx) if you don’t have it:

brew install uv

2. Install the SketchupMCP Python package from PyPI using uvx:

uvx sketchup-mcp

This will install the SketchupMCP package and make the server executable available for Claude to connect.

3. Install the SketchUp extension (extension file must be installed per SketchUp instructions):

• Download or build the latest .rbz
• In SketchUp, go to Window > Extension Manager
• Click "Install Extension" and select the downloaded .rbz
• Restart SketchUp

4. Start the SketchUp MCP server:

• In SketchUp, navigate to Extensions > SketchupMCP > Start Server
• Note the default port 9876 (adjust if needed) and ensure the MCP Python server is running.

5. Configure Claude to use the MCP server as shown in the usage example:

"mcpServers": {
  "sketchup": {
    "command": "uvx",
    "args": [
      "sketchup-mcp"
    ]
  }
}

Tips and considerations:

• Ensure both the SketchUp extension server and the MCP Python server are running for a successful connection.
• If you encounter timeouts, try simplifying requests or performing operations in smaller steps.
• Use eval_ruby for advanced workflows but be mindful of SketchUp security considerations when executing arbitrary Ruby code.
• The MCP protocol uses JSON over TCP; responses include status and either result or message to aid debugging.
• If you update the SketchupMCP package, re-check the connection and restart servers as needed.