r/ouranos

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Robert Helewka 56d7fdb9cf fix: update FreeCAD MCP URL and ports for consistency and add new backend configurations in Titania

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FreeCAD Robust MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables integration between AI assistants (Claude, GPT, and other MCP-compatible tools) and FreeCAD, allowing AI-assisted development and debugging of 3D models, macros, and workbenches.

FreeCAD Robust MCP Server

The macros that were originally in this repo under the /macros directory have been permanently moved to two new GitHub repos:

spkane/freecad-macro-cut-for-magnets

spkane/freecad-macro-3d-print-multi-export

FreeCAD Forum: addon discussion post

Features

150+ MCP Tools: Comprehensive CAD operations including primitives, PartDesign, booleans, export
Multiple Connection Modes: XML-RPC (recommended), JSON-RPC socket, or embedded
GUI & Headless Support: Full modeling in headless mode, plus screenshots/colors in GUI mode
Macro Development: Create, edit, run, and template FreeCAD macros via MCP

Installation Requirements / Dependencies

FreeCAD 0.21+ or 1.0+
Python 3.11 (required for FreeCAD ABI compatibility)

For Users

This section covers installation and usage for end users who want to use the Robust MCP Server with AI assistants.

Quick Links

Resource	Description
Documentation	Full documentation, guides, and API reference
Docker Hub	Pre-built Docker images for easy deployment
PyPI	Python package for pip installation
GitHub Releases	Release archives and changelogs

Robust MCP Server

Note

: The Linux container and PyPI package are both named freecad-robust-mcp which differs slightly from this git repository name.

Installation

Using pip (recommended)

pip install freecad-robust-mcp

Using mise and just (from source)

git clone https://github.com/spkane/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server.git
cd freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server

# Install mise via the Official mise installer script (if not already installed)
curl https://mise.run | sh

mise trust
mise install
just setup

Using Docker

Run the Robust MCP Server in a container. This is useful for isolated environments or when you don't want to install Python dependencies on your host.

# Pull from Docker Hub (when published)
docker pull spkane/freecad-robust-mcp

# Or build locally
git clone https://github.com/spkane/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server.git
cd freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server
docker build -t freecad-robust-mcp .

# Or use just commands (if you have mise/just installed)
just docker::build        # Build for local architecture
just docker::build-multi  # Build multi-arch (amd64 + arm64)

Note: The containerized Robust MCP Server only supports xmlrpc and socket modes since FreeCAD runs on your host machine (not in the container). The container connects to FreeCAD via host.docker.internal.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
`FREECAD_MODE`	Connection mode: `xmlrpc`, `socket`, or `embedded`	`xmlrpc`
`FREECAD_PATH`	Path to FreeCAD's lib directory (embedded mode only)	Auto-detect
`FREECAD_SOCKET_HOST`	Socket/XML-RPC server hostname	`localhost`
`FREECAD_SOCKET_PORT`	JSON-RPC socket server port	`9876`
`FREECAD_XMLRPC_PORT`	XML-RPC server port	`9875`
`FREECAD_TIMEOUT_MS`	Execution timeout in ms	`30000`

Connection Modes

Mode	Description	Platform Support
`xmlrpc`	Connects to FreeCAD via XML-RPC (port 9875)	All platforms (recommended)
`socket`	Connects via JSON-RPC socket (port 9876)	All platforms
`embedded`	Imports FreeCAD directly into process	Linux only (crashes on macOS)

Note: Embedded mode crashes on macOS because FreeCAD's FreeCAD.so links to @rpath/libpython3.11.dylib, which conflicts with external Python interpreters. Use xmlrpc or socket mode on macOS and Windows.

MCP Client Configuration

Add something like the following to your MCP client settings. For Claude Code, this is ~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json or a project .mcp.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freecad": {
      "command": "freecad-mcp",
      "env": {
        "FREECAD_MODE": "xmlrpc"
      }
    }
  }
}

If installed from source with mise/uv:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freecad": {
      "command": "/path/to/mise/shims/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--project", "/path/to/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server", "freecad-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "FREECAD_MODE": "xmlrpc"
      }
    }
  }
}

If using Docker:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freecad": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "--rm", "-i",
        "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway",
        "-e", "FREECAD_MODE=xmlrpc",
        "-e", "FREECAD_SOCKET_HOST=host.docker.internal",
        "spkane/freecad-robust-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Docker configuration notes:

--rm removes the container after it exits
-i keeps stdin open for MCP communication
--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway allows the container to connect to FreeCAD on your host (Linux only; macOS/Windows have this built-in)
FREECAD_SOCKET_HOST=host.docker.internal tells the Robust MCP Server to connect to FreeCAD on your host machine

Usage

Starting the MCP Bridge in FreeCAD

Before your AI assistant can connect, you need to start the MCP bridge inside FreeCAD:

Option A: Using the Workbench (Recommended)

Install the Robust MCP Bridge workbench via FreeCAD's Addon Manager:
- Edit -> Preferences -> Addon Manager
- Search for "Robust MCP Bridge"
- Install and restart FreeCAD
Start the bridge:
- Switch to the Robust MCP Bridge workbench
- Click the Start MCP Bridge button in the toolbar
- Or use the menu: MCP Bridge -> Start Bridge

You should see in the FreeCAD console:

MCP Bridge started!
  - XML-RPC: localhost:9875
  - Socket: localhost:9876

Option B: Using just commands (from source)

# Start FreeCAD with MCP bridge auto-started
just freecad::run-gui

# Or for headless/automation mode:
just freecad::run-headless

After starting the bridge, start/restart your MCP client (Claude Code, etc.) - it will connect automatically

Uninstalling the MCP Bridge

To uninstall the Robust MCP Bridge workbench:

Open FreeCAD
Go to Edit -> Preferences -> Addon Manager
Find "Robust MCP Bridge" in the list
Click Uninstall
Restart FreeCAD

Checking for Legacy Components

If you previously used older versions of this project, you may have legacy components installed. Run this command to check what's installed and get cleanup instructions:

just install::status

Manual Cleanup (if needed)

Remove any legacy files that may conflict with the workbench:

# macOS - remove legacy plugin and macro
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/FreeCAD/Mod/MCPBridge/
rm -f ~/Library/Application\ Support/FreeCAD/Macro/StartMCPBridge.FCMacro

# Linux - remove legacy plugin and macro
rm -rf ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/MCPBridge/
rm -f ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/Macro/StartMCPBridge.FCMacro

Running Modes

XML-RPC Mode (Recommended)

Connects to a running FreeCAD instance via XML-RPC. Works on all platforms.

FREECAD_MODE=xmlrpc freecad-mcp

Socket Mode (JSON-RPC)

Connects via JSON-RPC socket. Works on all platforms.

FREECAD_MODE=socket freecad-mcp

Headless Mode

Run FreeCAD in console mode without GUI. Useful for automation.

# If installed from source:
just freecad::run-headless

Note: Screenshot and view features are not available in headless mode.

Embedded Mode (Linux Only)

Runs FreeCAD in-process. Only works on Linux - crashes on macOS/Windows.

FREECAD_MODE=embedded freecad-mcp

Available Tools

The Robust MCP Server provides 150+ tools organized into categories. Tools marked with GUI require FreeCAD to be running in GUI mode; they will return an error in headless mode.

Execution & Debugging (5 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`execute_python`	Execute arbitrary Python code in FreeCAD's context	All
`get_freecad_version`	Get FreeCAD version, build date, and Python version	All
`get_connection_status`	Check MCP bridge connection status and latency	All
`get_console_output`	Get recent FreeCAD console output (up to N lines)	All
`get_mcp_server_environment`	Get Robust MCP Server environment (OS, hostname, instance_id)	All

Document Management (7 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`list_documents`	List all open documents with metadata	All
`get_active_document`	Get information about the active document	All
`create_document`	Create a new FreeCAD document	All
`open_document`	Open an existing .FCStd file	All
`save_document`	Save a document to disk	All
`close_document`	Close a document (with optional save)	All
`recompute_document`	Force recomputation of all objects	All

Object Creation - Primitives (8 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`create_object`	Create a generic FreeCAD object by type ID	All
`create_box`	Create a Part::Box with length, width, height	All
`create_cylinder`	Create a Part::Cylinder with radius, height, angle	All
`create_sphere`	Create a Part::Sphere with radius	All
`create_cone`	Create a Part::Cone with two radii and height	All
`create_torus`	Create a Part::Torus (donut) with radii and angles	All
`create_wedge`	Create a Part::Wedge (tapered box)	All
`create_helix`	Create a Part::Helix curve for sweeps and threads	All

Object Management (12 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`list_objects`	List all objects in a document	All
`inspect_object`	Get detailed object info (properties, shape, etc.)	All
`edit_object`	Modify properties of an existing object	All
`delete_object`	Delete an object from a document	All
`set_placement`	Set object position and rotation	All
`scale_object`	Scale an object uniformly or non-uniformly	All
`rotate_object`	Rotate an object around an axis	All
`copy_object`	Create a copy of an object	All
`mirror_object`	Mirror an object across a plane (XY, XZ, YZ)	All
`boolean_operation`	Fuse, cut, or intersect objects	All
`get_selection`	Get currently selected objects	GUI
`set_selection`	Select specific objects by name	GUI
`clear_selection`	Clear all selections	GUI

PartDesign - Sketching (14 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`create_partdesign_body`	Create a PartDesign::Body container	All
`create_sketch`	Create a sketch on a plane or face	All
`add_sketch_rectangle`	Add a rectangle to a sketch	All
`add_sketch_circle`	Add a circle to a sketch	All
`add_sketch_line`	Add a line (with optional construction flag)	All
`add_sketch_arc`	Add an arc by center, radius, and angles	All
`add_sketch_point`	Add a point (useful for hole centers)	All
`pad_sketch`	Extrude a sketch (additive)	All
`pocket_sketch`	Cut into solid using a sketch (subtractive)	All
`revolution_sketch`	Revolve a sketch around an axis (additive)	All
`groove_sketch`	Revolve a sketch around an axis (subtractive)	All
`create_hole`	Create parametric holes with optional threading	All
`loft_sketches`	Create a loft through multiple sketches	All
`sweep_sketch`	Sweep a profile along a spine path	All

PartDesign - Patterns & Edges (5 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`linear_pattern`	Create linear pattern of a feature	All
`polar_pattern`	Create polar/circular pattern of a feature	All
`mirrored_feature`	Mirror a feature across a plane	All
`fillet_edges`	Add fillets (rounded edges)	All
`chamfer_edges`	Add chamfers (beveled edges)	All

View & Display (11 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`get_screenshot`	Capture a screenshot of the 3D view	GUI
`set_view_angle`	Set camera to standard views (Front, Top, etc.)	GUI
`fit_all`	Zoom to fit all objects in view	GUI
`zoom_in`	Zoom in by a factor	GUI
`zoom_out`	Zoom out by a factor	GUI
`set_camera_position`	Set camera position and look-at point	GUI
`set_object_visibility`	Show/hide objects	GUI
`set_display_mode`	Set display mode (Shaded, Wireframe, etc.)	GUI
`set_object_color`	Set object color as RGB values	GUI
`list_workbenches`	List available FreeCAD workbenches	All
`activate_workbench`	Switch to a different workbench	All

Undo/Redo (3 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`undo`	Undo the last operation	All
`redo`	Redo a previously undone operation	All
`get_undo_redo_status`	Get available undo/redo operations	All

Export/Import (7 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`export_step`	Export to STEP format (ISO CAD exchange)	All
`export_stl`	Export to STL format (3D printing)	All
`export_3mf`	Export to 3MF format (modern 3D printing)	All
`export_obj`	Export to OBJ format (Wavefront)	All
`export_iges`	Export to IGES format (older CAD exchange)	All
`import_step`	Import a STEP file	All
`import_stl`	Import an STL file as mesh	All

Macro Management (6 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`list_macros`	List all available FreeCAD macros	All
`run_macro`	Execute a macro by name	All
`create_macro`	Create a new macro file	All
`read_macro`	Read macro source code	All
`delete_macro`	Delete a user macro	All
`create_macro_from_template`	Create macro from template (basic, part, etc.)	All

Parts Library (2 tools)

Tool	Description	Mode
`list_parts_library`	List parts in FreeCAD's parts library	All
`insert_part_from_library`	Insert a part from the library	All

For Developers

This section covers development setup, contributing, and working with the codebase.

Robust MCP Server Development

Prerequisites

mise - Tool version manager
FreeCAD 0.21+ or 1.0+

Initial Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/spkane/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server.git
cd freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server

# Install mise via the Official mise installer script (if not already installed)
curl https://mise.run | sh

# Install all tools (Python 3.11, uv, just, pre-commit)
mise trust
mise install

# Set up the development environment
just setup

This installs:

Python 3.11 - Required for FreeCAD ABI compatibility
uv - Fast Python package manager
just - Command runner for development workflows
pre-commit - Git hooks for code quality

MCP Client Configuration (Development)

Create a .mcp.json file in the project directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freecad": {
      "command": "/path/to/mise/shims/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--project", "/path/to/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server", "freecad-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "FREECAD_MODE": "xmlrpc",
        "FREECAD_SOCKET_HOST": "localhost",
        "FREECAD_XMLRPC_PORT": "9875",
        "PATH": "/path/to/mise/shims:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the paths with your actual paths:

Placeholder	Description	Example
`/path/to/mise/shims/uv`	Full path to uv via mise shims	`~/.local/share/mise/shims/uv`
`/path/to/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server`	Project directory	`/home/me/dev/freecad-addon-robust-mcp-server`
`/path/to/mise/shims`	mise shims directory for PATH	`~/.local/share/mise/shims`

Finding your mise shims path:

mise where uv | sed 's|/installs/.*|/shims|'
# Example: /home/user/.local/share/mise/shims (on Linux) or ~/.local/share/mise/shims (on macOS)

Development Workflow

Commands are organized into modules. Use just to see top-level commands, or just list-<module> to see module-specific commands.

# Show top-level commands and available modules
just

# Show commands in a specific module
just list-mcp           # Robust MCP Server commands
just list-freecad       # FreeCAD plugin/macro commands
just list-install       # Installation commands
just list-quality       # Code quality commands
just list-testing       # Test commands
just list-docker        # Docker commands
just list-documentation # Documentation commands
just list-dev           # Development utilities

# List ALL commands from all modules
just list-all

# Install/update dependencies
just install::mcp-server

# Run all checks (linting, type checking, tests)
just all

# Quality commands
just quality::lint       # Run ruff linter
just quality::typecheck  # Run mypy type checker
just quality::format     # Format code
just quality::check      # Run all pre-commit hooks

# Testing commands
just testing::unit       # Run unit tests
just testing::cov        # Run tests with coverage
just testing::integration # Run integration tests

# Run the Robust MCP Server (or with debug logging)
just mcp::run
just mcp::run-debug

# Docker commands
just docker::build        # Build image for local architecture
just docker::build-multi  # Build multi-arch image (amd64 + arm64)
just docker::run          # Run container

Running FreeCAD with the MCP Bridge

GUI Mode (recommended for development)

# Start FreeCAD with auto-started bridge
just freecad::run-gui

Headless Mode (for automation/CI)

just freecad::run-headless

Running Tests

# Unit tests only (no FreeCAD required)
just testing::unit

# Unit tests with coverage
just testing::cov

# Integration tests (requires running FreeCAD bridge)
just testing::integration

# Integration tests with automatic FreeCAD startup
just testing::integration-auto

Code Quality

The project uses strict code quality checks via pre-commit:

Ruff - Linting and formatting
MyPy - Type checking
Bandit - Security scanning
Codespell - Spell checking
Secrets scanning - Gitleaks, detect-secrets, TruffleHog

# Run all pre-commit hooks
just quality::check

# Run security/secrets scans
just quality::security
just quality::secrets

Architecture

See the detailed architecture document for design documentation covering:

Module structure
Bridge communication protocols
Tool registration patterns
FreeCAD plugin architecture

Acknowledgements

This project was developed after analyzing several existing FreeCAD Robust MCP implementations. We are grateful to these projects for their pioneering work and the ideas they contributed to the FreeCAD + AI ecosystem:

neka-nat/freecad-mcp (MIT License) - The queue-based thread safety pattern and XML-RPC protocol design (port 9875) were directly inspired by this project. Our implementation maintains protocol compatibility while being a complete rewrite with additional features.
jango-blockchained/mcp-freecad - Inspired our connection recovery mechanisms and multi-mode architecture approach.
contextform/freecad-mcp - Informed our comprehensive PartDesign and Part workbench tool coverage.
ATOI-Ming/FreeCAD-MCP - Inspired our macro development toolkit including templates, validation, and automatic imports.
bonninr/freecad_mcp - Influenced our simple socket-based communication approach.

See docs/COMPARISON.md for a detailed analysis of these implementations and the design decisions they informed.

Ouranos Deployment

The FreeCAD Robust MCP Server runs on caliban.incus and is exposed via Titania's HAProxy with TLS termination.

Architecture

External Agent (e.g., Claude Desktop / MCP Switchboard)
        │  MCP Protocol (Streamable HTTP, TLS)
        │  https://freecad-mcp.ouranos.helu.ca/mcp
        ▼
  Titania HAProxy (TLS termination, wildcard cert)
        │  http://caliban.incus:22032/mcp
        ▼
  FreeCAD Robust MCP Server (HTTP transport mode)
        │  XML-RPC (localhost:9875)
        ▼
  FreeCAD (GUI or headless)

Integration

The MCP URL is registered in group_vars/all/vars.yml:

freecad_mcp_url: https://freecad-mcp.ouranos.helu.ca/mcp

The route is served via Titania's HAProxy using the existing *.ouranos.helu.ca Let's Encrypt wildcard certificate.

To deploy: ansible-playbook ansible/haproxy/configure.yml

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

30 KiB Raw Blame History

FreeCAD Robust MCP Server

Table of Contents

Features

Installation Requirements / Dependencies

For Users

Quick Links

Robust MCP Server

Installation

Using pip (recommended)

Using mise and just (from source)

Using Docker

Configuration

Environment Variables

Connection Modes

MCP Client Configuration

Usage

Starting the MCP Bridge in FreeCAD

Option A: Using the Workbench (Recommended)

Option B: Using just commands (from source)

Uninstalling the MCP Bridge

Checking for Legacy Components

Manual Cleanup (if needed)

Running Modes

XML-RPC Mode (Recommended)

Socket Mode (JSON-RPC)

Headless Mode

Embedded Mode (Linux Only)

Available Tools

Execution & Debugging (5 tools)

Document Management (7 tools)

Object Creation - Primitives (8 tools)

Object Management (12 tools)

PartDesign - Sketching (14 tools)

PartDesign - Patterns & Edges (5 tools)

View & Display (11 tools)

Undo/Redo (3 tools)

Export/Import (7 tools)

Macro Management (6 tools)

Parts Library (2 tools)

For Developers

Robust MCP Server Development

Prerequisites

Initial Setup

MCP Client Configuration (Development)

Development Workflow

Running FreeCAD with the MCP Bridge

GUI Mode (recommended for development)

Headless Mode (for automation/CI)

Running Tests

Code Quality

Architecture

Acknowledgements

Related Projects

Ouranos Deployment

Architecture

Integration

License

30 KiB

Raw Blame History