Origin Pro MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants like Claude to control OriginLab Origin Pro via COM automation. All operations are reflected in Origin's GUI in real-time — you watch as the AI creates worksheets, plots graphs, and styles figures.

What Can It Do?

• Worksheet Management — Create workbooks, read/write data, import CSV/Excel, export CSV, column formulas, sort, transpose
• Matrices & 3D — Matrix books, XYZ gridding, 3D surface/scatter, contour, heatmap, image plots
• Graph Creation — Scatter, line, line+symbol, column, bar, area, pie, histogram, contour plots
• Graph Layers & Axes — Log scales, dual Y axis, panels, reference lines, text annotations
• Plot Styling — Colors, symbols, line width, publication-ready formatting in one call
• Analysis — Curve fitting, FFT, smoothing, integration, differentiation, interpolation, peak finding
• Statistics — Descriptive stats, two-sample t-test, frequency counts
• Project Management — New/save/load projects, export all graphs (with pixel-size control)
• LabTalk Scripting — Direct LabTalk execution with destructive/file-overwrite commands blocked

This MCP server is intentionally Windows-runtime-only. The AI agent or MCP client can run from Windows or WSL, but the MCP server process that talks to Origin must be launched with Windows Python and pywin32. WSL/Linux can edit the project and run non-COM unit tests, but cannot directly control Origin COM.

Quick Start

1. Prerequisites

• Windows with a licensed Origin/OriginPro installation that exposes the Automation Server
• Python 3.10+ (Windows Python, not WSL)

Tested environment: Origin Pro 2020. Other Origin/OriginPro versions may work if they expose compatible COM Automation Server and LabTalk behavior, but they are not verified by this project yet.

2. Install & Configure

Option A: uvx (recommended — zero setup)

No manual install needed. The MCP client launches the server for you. Just add this to your Claude Code MCP settings when Claude Code is running on Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "origin-pro": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--quiet", "origin-pro-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

uvx automatically downloads and runs the server in an isolated environment. Nothing else to install. The --quiet flag keeps first-run dependency messages out of your MCP client logs.

If Claude Code or another MCP client is running inside WSL, launch the same Windows server by calling Windows uvx.exe directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "origin-pro": {
      "command": "uvx.exe",
      "args": ["--quiet", "origin-pro-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

For a local checkout before publishing/installing, point Windows uvx at the Windows path of the repo:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "origin-pro": {
      "command": "uvx.exe",
      "args": ["--quiet", "--refresh", "--from", "D:\\04.Agent OS\\Origin-Pro-MCP", "origin-pro-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Keep the command and args as separate JSON array entries. That avoids quoting problems when a Windows path contains spaces. If WSL cannot find uvx.exe, set command to the full WSL path for the Windows executable, for example /mnt/c/Users/YOU/.local/bin/uvx.exe.

Option B: pip install from PyPI

pip install origin-pro-mcp

Then configure Claude Code:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "origin-pro": {
      "command": "origin-pro-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option C: Clone and run directly

git clone https://github.com/youngminsw/Origin-Pro-MCP.git
cd Origin-Pro-MCP
pip install -e .

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "origin-pro": {
      "command": "origin-pro-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Note: If Claude Code runs in WSL, make sure the uvx or python command points to your Windows Python, not WSL Python. Origin COM only works from Windows.

3. Origin Startup

You do not need to start Python or Origin manually. The MCP client starts origin-pro-mcp, and the server connects to Origin through Origin.ApplicationSI. If Origin is already open, the server uses it; otherwise COM launches Origin and the server makes it visible.

4. Use It

Just ask Claude to work with Origin:

"Create a scatter plot from this data: x=[1,2,3,4,5], y=[2.1,4.0,5.9,8.1,10.0]"
"Apply publication styling to Fig1 with axis labels Temperature (K) and Absorbance (a.u.)"
"Fit a Gaussian to the data in Book1"
"Export all graphs to C:\Users\me\figures\"

File paths can be Windows style (C:\Users\me\fig.png) or WSL style (/mnt/c/Users/me/fig.png) — the server converts WSL paths automatically, so agents running in WSL can pass their native paths.

Agent Location vs Server Runtime

The agent does not have to run on Windows. These setups are valid:

• Windows agent -> Windows origin-pro-mcp server -> Origin Pro
• WSL agent -> Windows origin-pro-mcp server -> Origin Pro

The unsupported setup is WSL/Linux origin-pro-mcp server -> Origin Pro, because COM is a Windows API.

Version Support

This project is currently verified only with Origin Pro 2020. The implementation uses Origin's COM Automation Server and LabTalk, which exist across multiple Origin releases, so other versions may work. Treat them as unverified until someone runs the test suite and a real graph/export smoke test on that version.

Direct LabTalk Safety

The run_labtalk tool is available by default for styling, analysis, graph tweaks, and other advanced Origin operations. It blocks common destructive or file-writing LabTalk commands such as project reset, delete, save/open, file dialogs, external script execution, and graph export. Use the typed tools for saving, loading, importing, and exporting.

This is an accident-prevention guard, not a security sandbox for untrusted code.

Architecture

Claude Code (WSL or Windows)
    |  stdio (MCP protocol)
    v
MCP Server (Windows Python + win32com)
    |  COM automation
    v
Origin Pro (GUI visible in real-time)

Direct CLI (no MCP client)

Every MCP tool is also a plain command, so the repo alone can drive Origin — no MCP client, no per-task scripts. Same Windows-runtime rule applies (Windows Python + pywin32 + Origin).

# List all tools with their arguments
python -m origin_pro_mcp.cli list

# Call any tool: simple flags...
python -m origin_pro_mcp.cli list_worksheets
python -m origin_pro_mcp.cli apply_publication_style --graph_name Fig1

# ...or --json for values with spaces/paths (recommended for scripting)
python -m origin_pro_mcp.cli apply_publication_style --json '{"graph_name": "Fig1", "x_label": "Temperature (K)"}'
python -m origin_pro_mcp.cli export_graph --json '{"graph_name": "Fig1", "file_path": "/mnt/c/Users/me/fig1.png"}'

After pip install (or via uvx) the same is available as the origin-pro-cli command, e.g. origin-pro-cli list_worksheets.

Running a WSL agent? Invoke Windows Python with the package on the path, for example from the repo's src/ directory:

cd src && /mnt/c/.../python.exe -m origin_pro_mcp.cli list_worksheets

The CLI reflects over the same tool registry as the MCP server, so it always exposes exactly the tools listed below.

Available Tools (56 total)

Project Management

Tool	Description
new_project	Create new empty Origin project
save_graph_template	Save a graph as a reusable .otpu/.otp template
save_project	Save project to .opju file
load_project	Open existing .opj/.opju file

Worksheet Data

Tool	Description
create_worksheet	Create new workbook
set_worksheet_data	Write column data (JSON arrays)
get_worksheet_data	Read worksheet data as JSON
import_csv_to_worksheet	Import CSV/text file
import_excel	Import an .xls/.xlsx file
export_worksheet	Export a worksheet to CSV/text
list_worksheets	List open workbooks, graphs, and matrices
set_column_formula	Fill a column from a formula of other columns
set_column_properties	Set long name, units, comment, designation
sort_worksheet	Sort rows by a column (asc/desc)
add_columns / delete_columns	Add or remove columns
transpose_worksheet	Transpose rows and columns

Matrix

Tool	Description
create_matrix	Create a matrix book
set_matrix_data / get_matrix_data	Write / read a 2D grid
worksheet_to_matrix	Grid scattered XYZ into a matrix (xyz2mat)
create_matrix_plot	Surface (3D), contour, heatmap, or image from a matrix (with a data-linked color scale)

Graphing

Tool	Description
create_graph	Create graph (scatter, line, line+symbol, column, bar, area, pie, histogram, box, contour, 3d_scatter)
add_plot_to_graph	Add another dataset to an existing graph
add_second_y_axis	Add a right-Y layer and plot on it
add_layer	Add a panel/axis layer (right-y, top-x, inset)
set_axis_labels	Set X/Y axis labels and title
set_axis_range	Set axis min/max values
set_axis_scale	Linear / log10 / ln / log2 scale
add_reference_line	Horizontal/vertical line at a value
add_line	Straight line between two data points
add_arrow	Single/double-headed arrow between two points
apply_color_map	Apply a colormap; bundles viridis/cividis/plasma/inferno/magma (colorblind-safe) plus Origin built-ins
set_colormap_levels	Set the Z color-scale range
add_text_annotation	Place a text label at data coordinates
export_graph	Export via clipboard (page size)
export_graph_sized	Export at a chosen pixel width/height
export_all_graphs	Export every graph in the project

export_graph uses Origin's clipboard copy (size follows the page setup). export_graph_sized uses expGraph for direct pixel control.

Styling

Tool	Description
apply_publication_style	One-call publication formatting (recommended)
set_plot_style	Set color, symbol, line width per plot
set_graph_font	Set font family and size
set_legend	Configure legend text and position
set_tick_style	Set tick direction and length

Analysis

Tool	Description
curve_fit	Curve fitting: parameters ± std errors, R², SSR, reduced χ²; optional plot_on_graph
list_fitting_functions	Show available fit functions
integrate	Area under the curve
differentiate	Derivative dY/dX into a new column
smooth	Savitzky-Golay / adjacent / binomial smoothing
interpolate	Resample onto evenly spaced X (linear/spline/bspline/akima)
fft	Forward FFT + dominant frequency
find_peaks	Peak positions and heights

Statistics

Tool	Description
column_statistics	mean, sd, se, variance, median, min, max, sum, n
compare_means	Two-sample t-test (t, df, p, means)
frequency_count	Binned histogram counts

Advanced

Tool	Description
run_labtalk	Execute LabTalk with destructive/file-writing commands blocked
get_labtalk_variable	Read a LabTalk variable value

Example: Publication-Quality Figure

# 1. Start fresh
new_project()

# 2. Create data
create_worksheet(book_name="Data")
set_worksheet_data(
    book_name="Data", sheet_name="Sheet1",
    columns="[[300,350,400,450,500,550,600],[0.12,0.35,0.89,1.62,1.95,1.92,1.25],[0.08,0.22,0.62,1.35,1.88,1.90,1.12]]",
    column_names="Temperature,Pristine,Annealed"
)

# 3. Create line+symbol graph
create_graph(graph_name="Fig1", data_book="Data", data_sheet="Sheet1",
             x_col=1, y_col=2, plot_type="line+symbol")
add_plot_to_graph(graph_name="Fig1", data_book="Data", data_sheet="Sheet1",
                  x_col=1, y_col=3, plot_type="line+symbol")

# 4. One call does everything: colors, fonts, ticks, frame, legend
apply_publication_style(
    graph_name="Fig1",
    x_label="Temperature (K)",
    y_label="Absorbance (a.u.)",
    x_min=280, x_max=620, y_min=0, y_max=2.2,
    legend_entries="Pristine,Annealed",
    legend_position="top-right"
)

# 5. Export
export_graph(graph_name="Fig1", file_path="C:\\Users\\me\\fig1.png")

Result: A publication-ready figure with bold Arial labels, colorblind-safe colors (blue circles + red triangles), filled symbols, solid lines, inward ticks, closed frame, and positioned legend.

Claude Code Skill: Publication Figure

This repo includes a skill file (skills/publication-figure.md) that teaches Claude how to create journal-quality figures step by step. To use it:

1. Copy skills/publication-figure.md to your Claude Code skills directory
2. When you ask Claude to "make a publication figure", it will automatically follow the skill's workflow:
   • Ask about data source, figure type, target journal
   • Use colorblind-safe color palette (blue → red → green → orange → purple → cyan)
   • Apply proper typography (Arial, bold, correct sizes)
   • Follow a pre-export checklist

The skill also documents COM quirks observed while testing on Origin Pro 2020 — what works, what doesn't, and tested workarounds. This is invaluable if you need to customize beyond apply_publication_style.

Customizing the Skill for Your Style

The included skill is a generic starting template for paper-grade Origin figures. You should copy and customize it to match your lab's habits, target journals, and visual taste:

• Font: Change from Arial to your journal's preferred font (e.g., Helvetica, Times New Roman)
• Font sizes: Adjust axis title/tick label/legend sizes to match your journal's figure guidelines
• Color palette: Replace the default colorblind-safe palette with your group's standard colors
• Default export path: Set to your working directory
• Figure recipes: Add templates for your common figure types (XRD patterns, IV curves, etc.)
• Journal presets: Add specific formatting rules for your target journals (Nature, ACS, RSC, etc.)

Copy skills/publication-figure.md to your project and edit freely — it's meant to be a starting point, not a rigid template.

Key Origin Pro 2020 COM Quirks (documented in skill)

Issue	Workaround
Bold axis titles (xb.bold) doesn't exist	Use \b(text) markup in xb.text$
legend.text$ doesn't support multiline via COM	Set column Long Names, then legend -r
legend.x/y uses data coordinates, not %	Calculate from layer.x.from/to
%C notation fails via COM	Use actual plot names from DataPlots
expGraph doesn't produce files via COM	Use CopyPage + Pillow clipboard
nlr.r2 returns 0 after nlend	Read statistics BEFORE nlend
Plot styling commands can conflict	Add 0.2s delay between set commands
[Book]Sheet!col(n).type = ... silently ignored	Activate the sheet, then use wks.col(n).type
set <plot> fails when the graph isn't active	Run win -a <graph> before set commands
Typed LabTalk locals (int x = ...) unreadable later	Use untyped assignment to read values back via COM

Supported Plot Types

Type	Description	Data
scatter	Scatter plot (symbols only)	X, Y
line	Line plot (no symbols)	X, Y
line+symbol	Line with symbols (recommended for publications)	X, Y
column	Vertical bar chart	X, Y
bar	Horizontal bar chart	X, Y
area	Area plot	X, Y
pie	Pie chart	X, Y
histogram	Histogram	single Y column
box	Box chart	single Y column
contour	Filled contour map	X, Y, Z (pass z_col)
3d_scatter	3D scatter (OpenGL)	X, Y, Z (pass z_col)

Matrix plots (surface, contour, heatmap, image) come from a matrix via create_matrix_plot.

Supported Fitting Functions

Category	Functions
Linear	line
Polynomial	poly2, poly3, poly4, poly5
Exponential	exp1, exp2, expgrow1, expdecay1
Peak	gauss, lorentz, voigt
Growth/Sigmoidal	boltzmann, hill, logistic, lognormal
Other	power, sine

curve_fit returns the fitted parameter values with standard errors plus R², SSR, reduced χ², and DoF. Exception: power fits and draws the curve, but Origin 2020 does not expose its parameter values over COM, so only the statistics are returned. Use list_fitting_functions to see the parameter names for each function.

Color Palette

apply_publication_style uses a muted pastel palette (no pure primaries — easier on the eyes, survives grayscale printing, colorblind-distinguishable):

Order	Color	RGB
1st	Soft steel blue	(93, 143, 179)
2nd	Muted rose	(204, 102, 119)
3rd	Muted teal	(68, 170, 153)
4th	Soft amber	(221, 170, 102)
5th	Soft purple	(153, 136, 187)
6th	Gray cyan	(119, 170, 187)

Error bars automatically match their data series color. The fit curve drawn by curve_fit(plot_on_graph=...) uses a muted brick red (170, 68, 80).

Tip: Never use red + green as the only two colors — colorblind users cannot distinguish them.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"Could not connect to Origin via COM"	Check that Origin/OriginPro is installed and licensed; if it is, run Origin once as administrator to re-register the Automation Server
Tools timeout	Origin may be showing a dialog — check the Origin window
Export fails with a clipboard error	The server already polls the clipboard for up to 5 s; check that the Origin window is not minimized and no other app holds the clipboard
"Window 'X' not found" errors	The error lists every open workbook/graph — use one of those names (Origin may have renamed the window if the name was taken)
Legend missing after styling	Legend uses data coordinates — verify axis range is set before positioning
Symbols appear hollow	Do NOT use set -d flag (it's for dash patterns, not fill)

License

MIT