Rhino MCP
RhinoMCP connects Rhino to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI-assisted 3D modeling and architectural design.
What is Rhino MCP?
Rhino MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to rhinomcp connects rhino to claude ai through the model context protocol (mcp), enabling ai-assisted 3d modeling and architectural design.
RhinoMCP connects Rhino to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI-assisted 3D modeling and architectural design.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- RhinoMCP connects Rhino to Claude AI through the Model Conte
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx rhinomcpserverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Rhino MCP
RhinoMCP Server connects Rhino 3D to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol, enabling AI-assisted 3D modeling and architectural design directly inside Rhino. The server exposes tools for creating geometry (spheres, boxes, cylinders), managing scenes and layers, and querying scene state—all controlled through natural language. Architects, computational designers, and 3D artists use it to describe what they want to model and have Claude generate and manipulate Rhino geometry without writing Grasshopper scripts or macros.
Prerequisites
- Rhino 7 or 8 installed on macOS or Windows
- .NET SDK compatible with your Rhino version (the plugin is written in C#)
- Git to clone the repository and a way to build the C# plugin
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Clone the repository
Clone the RhinoMCP server repository to your local machine.
git clone https://github.com/always-tinkering/rhinoMcpServer.git
cd rhinoMcpServerBuild and install the Rhino plugin
Build the C# plugin project and install it in Rhino. The plugin creates the socket or stdio bridge that the MCP server communicates over.
Start the server using the launcher script
Use the provided server_launcher.sh script to start the server. The 'combined' mode is recommended as the default for direct stdio communication.
./server_launcher.sh combinedConfigure Claude Desktop to connect to the server
Add the RhinoMCP server to your claude_desktop_config.json pointing to the launcher script.
Open Rhino and test geometry creation
With Rhino open and the plugin loaded, ask Claude to create a simple object to confirm the connection is working.
Rhino MCP Examples
Client configuration
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json. Replace the path with the absolute path to your cloned rhinoMcpServer directory.
{
"mcpServers": {
"rhinomcp": {
"command": "/bin/bash",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/rhinoMcpServer/server_launcher.sh", "combined"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for creating and managing 3D geometry in Rhino through Claude.
- "Create a sphere with radius 5 at the origin"
- "Add a box that is 10 units wide, 5 units deep, and 3 units tall"
- "Get information about the current scene and list all objects"
- "Create a new layer called 'Structure' and move all geometry to it"
- "Clear the scene and start fresh with a cylinder of radius 2 and height 8"Troubleshooting Rhino MCP
Server launcher script fails to start
Make sure the script is executable: 'chmod +x server_launcher.sh'. Also verify that Rhino is open and the MCP plugin is loaded before attempting to connect.
Geometry creation commands are acknowledged but nothing appears in Rhino
The project is under active development and object creation has known issues. Check the logs directory with './server_launcher.sh logs' for error details. Try the 'standalone' mode as an alternative: './server_launcher.sh standalone'.
Connection drops after a few commands
Use './server_launcher.sh monitor' to watch the server in real time. If the process is crashing, check './server_launcher.sh errors' for the last error output and report the issue on the GitHub repository.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rhino MCP
What is Rhino MCP?
Rhino MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that rhinomcp connects rhino to claude ai through the model context protocol (mcp), enabling ai-assisted 3d modeling and architectural design. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Rhino MCP?
Follow the installation instructions on the Rhino MCP GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Rhino MCP?
Rhino MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Rhino MCP free to use?
Yes, Rhino MCP is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Rhino MCP in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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