What is Rhinomcp

RhinoMCP is a tool that connects Rhino3D to Claude AI using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to interact with and control Rhino3D for AI-assisted 3D modeling, analysis, and design workflows.

Use cases

Use cases for RhinoMCP include automating 3D modeling tasks, enhancing design workflows with AI capabilities, and performing complex analyses in Rhino3D with the assistance of Claude AI.

How to use

To use RhinoMCP, first start the Rhino Bridge Server by running the provided Python script in Rhino’s Python editor. Then, activate your virtual environment and start the MCP server using the command ‘rhinomcp’.

Key features

Key features of RhinoMCP include bidirectional socket communication between Python and Rhino, integration with Claude AI via the Model Context Protocol, support for NURBS curve creation, execution of Python scripts within Rhino, and compatibility with both Claude Desktop and Windsurf clients.

Where to use

RhinoMCP can be used in fields such as architecture, industrial design, and any area requiring AI-assisted 3D modeling and design.

RhinoMCP

RhinoMCP connects Rhino3D to Claude AI via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling Claude to directly interact with and control Rhino3D for AI-assisted 3D modeling, analysis, and design workflows.

Project Overview

This integration consists of two main components:

1. Rhino Plugin: A socket server that runs inside Rhino’s Python editor, providing a communication interface to Rhino’s functionality.
2. MCP Server: An implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects Claude AI to the Rhino plugin, enabling AI-controlled operations.

Features

• Socket-based bidirectional communication between Python and Rhino
• Model Context Protocol server for Claude AI integration
• Support for NURBS curve creation (initial test feature)
• Python script execution within Rhino’s context
• Compatible with both Claude Desktop and Windsurf as clients

Installation

Requirements

• Rhinoceros 3D (Version 7 or 8)
• Python 3.10 or higher
• Windows 10 or 11

Install Using uv (Recommended)

# Create and activate a virtual environment 
mkdir -p .venv
uv venv .venv
source .venv/Scripts/activate  # On Windows with Git Bash

# Install the package
uv pip install -e .

Install Using pip

# Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate  # On Windows

# Install the package
pip install -e .

Usage

Step 1: Start the Rhino Bridge Server

1. Open Rhino
2. Type EditPythonScript in the command line to open Rhino’s Python editor
3. Open the Rhino server script from src/rhino_plugin/rhino_server.py
4. Run the script (F5 or click the Run button)
5. Verify you see “Rhino Bridge started!” in the output panel

Step 2: Start the MCP Server

# Activate your virtual environment
source .venv/Scripts/activate  # On Windows with Git Bash

# Start the MCP server
rhinomcp

Or run with custom settings:

rhinomcp --host 127.0.0.1 --port 5000 --rhino-host 127.0.0.1 --rhino-port 8888 --debug

Step 3: Connect with Claude Desktop or Windsurf

Configure Claude Desktop or Windsurf to connect to the MCP server at:

ws://127.0.0.1:5000

Example: Creating a NURBS Curve

When connected to Claude, you can ask it to create a NURBS curve in Rhino with a prompt like:

Create a NURBS curve in Rhino using points at (0,0,0), (5,10,0), (10,0,0), and (15,10,0).

Development

Setup Development Environment

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/FernandoMaytorena/RhinoMCP.git
cd RhinoMCP

# Create and activate virtual environment
uv venv .venv
source .venv/Scripts/activate  # On Windows with Git Bash

# Install development dependencies
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

Run Tests

pytest

Code Style

This project uses Ruff for linting and formatting:

ruff check .
ruff format .

Project Structure

RhinoMCP/
├── src/
│   ├── rhino_plugin/  # Code that runs inside Rhino
│   │   └── rhino_server.py
│   └── rhino_mcp/     # MCP server implementation
│       ├── rhino_client.py
│       └── mcp_server.py
├── tests/             # Test modules
├── docs/              # Documentation
├── config/            # Configuration files
├── ai/                # AI documentation and prompts
├── setup.py           # Package installation
├── requirements.txt   # Package dependencies
└── README.md          # Project documentation

License

MIT License

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.