SolidWorks MCP Server

Control SolidWorks with plain language. This Model Context Protocol server connects AI clients such as Claude and Codex to SolidWorks, so you can describe a part — "a 60mm mounting bracket with four M5 clearance holes and 3mm fillets" — and watch it get built, feature by feature, in a real SolidWorks session.

This is, as far as I can tell, the most complete MCP server for SolidWorks available, and I will be expanding as time allows.

At present, the connected AI client gets 89 tools <!-- I've had to update this like 8 times --> covering sketching, solid features, assemblies with mates, configurations, equations, and — critically — feedback: it can query faces and edges, check mass properties, detect interference, and take labeled screenshots of the model to see what it's actually building.

What it can do

• Full sketching — lines, arcs, splines, slots, polygons, text, whole chained profiles in one call, plus driving dimensions and geometric constraints
• Solid features — extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, boundary; the matching cuts; fillet, chamfer, shell, draft, rib, wrap; linear/circular patterns and mirror
• Assemblies — insert saved parts, position them with mates (coincident, concentric, distance, angle, gears...), check interference
• Parametrics — named configurations, per-configuration dimensions, and equations that re-solve when driving dimensions change
• Model awareness — Claude can enumerate faces/edges with exact coordinates, find a face by description ("the angled face"), read mass properties against any coordinate system, and look at labeled screenshots of the model mid-build
• State tracking — every feature, sketch, and entity gets a stable ID, scoped per document, so multi-part + assembly sessions stay coherent

What it can't do

• Taste - Claude does not replace design reviews, or having a sense for how things should be done.
• Interpreting drawings - Most AI Agents have a hard time interpreting complex or degraded drawings.

Requirements

• Windows (SolidWorks only runs on Windows)
• SolidWorks 2022 or later, installed and activated (tested on SolidWorks 2025)
• Claude Desktop, Codex, or the ChatGPT desktop app (other local MCP clients may also work with manual configuration)

That's it — the installer below takes care of Python and everything else.

Installation

Easy install (recommended)

Open PowerShell (press Win, type "PowerShell", press Enter) and paste:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HarrierPigeon/Solidworks-MCP-Server/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex"

The script installs uv (which provides Python — you don't need Python installed), downloads the latest release, and sets up an isolated environment under %LOCALAPPDATA%\SolidWorksMCP. It auto-detects Claude Desktop and Codex/ChatGPT desktop and registers the server with each confidently detected client.

To choose explicitly, download the script and run one of:

.\install.ps1 -Client Claude
.\install.ps1 -Client Codex
.\install.ps1 -Client Both

Valid selections are Auto (the default), Claude, Codex, and Both. “Codex” covers the local Codex clients and ChatGPT desktop MCP configuration; it does not enable the hosted ChatGPT web app.

Then restart the configured client completely and ask it to "create a 50mm cube in SolidWorks".

To update later: re-run the same one-liner.

To uninstall: delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\SolidWorksMCP, remove the "solidworks" entry from %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json if configured, and run codex mcp remove solidworks if configured for Codex.

Manual install (for developers)

Prerequisites (in addition to the requirements above):

• Python 3.10 or later — check "Add python.exe to PATH" during install
• Git (or download the repo as a ZIP from GitHub instead)

git clone https://github.com/HarrierPigeon/Solidworks-MCP-Server.git
cd Solidworks-MCP-Server
pip install -r requirements.txt

(Or pip install -e . for an editable package install.)

Tip: clone somewhere that isn't a network drive.

For Claude Desktop, register the server in %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "solidworks": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\Solidworks-MCP-Server\\server.py"]
    }
  }
}

For Codex and ChatGPT desktop, register it with:

codex mcp add solidworks -- python C:\path\to\Solidworks-MCP-Server\server.py

Restart the configured client and you're set. (Microsoft Store installs of Claude Desktop keep its config under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Claude...\LocalCache\Roaming\Claude instead.)

Try it

The die below was modeled entirely by Claude from this single prompt — and its correctness is checkable: opposite faces sum to 7, and the volume reported by mass properties matches the analytic value for a filleted cube minus 21 pips to five significant figures.

Make a simple dice: 16mm cube, 2mm fillets on all edges, then put the correct
pip pattern (1 through 6) on each face using shallow 2.5mm-diameter cut
circles. Opposite faces must sum to 7. Show me screenshots of three different
views when done so I can check your work.

More prompts to get a feel for it:

Create a 100mm cube in SolidWorks.

Make a bracket: 80x50x6mm base plate with a 40mm tall vertical wall along one
long edge, 5mm fillets where they meet, and four 6mm through-holes in the base.

Model a simple bolt: M10-ish — 10mm shank, 30mm long, hex head. Then show me
an isometric screenshot.

Build a two-part assembly: a plate with a 20mm hole and a 20mm pin, saved as
separate parts, then mate the pin concentric into the hole.

Claude works best when you give real dimensions, but it will make sensible choices if you don't. It can also read what it built (get_faces, get_mass_properties, look_at_model) and fix its own mistakes.

The tools

All 89 tools are prefixed solidworks_ (e.g. solidworks_sketch_circle). Dimensions are millimeters, angles are degrees — conversion to the COM API's meters/radians happens internally.

<details> <summary><strong>Sketching (21 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
create_sketch	Open a sketch on Front/Top/Right, a reference plane, or a model face (by coordinates)
exit_sketch	Close the active sketch
sketch_rectangle	Rectangle — absolute, relative-to-last-shape, spacing, or corner-defined positioning
sketch_circle	Circle — absolute or relative positioning
sketch_profile	Whole chained profile (lines / tangent arcs / arcs) in one call, optional auto-close + corner fillets
sketch_line / sketch_centerline	Line segments; centerlines double as revolve/mirror axes
sketch_arc	Arc — 3-point or center-point
sketch_spline	Spline through points
sketch_ellipse	Ellipse with optional rotation
sketch_polygon	Regular polygon (inscribed/circumscribed)
sketch_slot	Straight slot from two centers + width
sketch_point / sketch_text	Reference points and sketch text
sketch_fillet	Round a sketch corner with an exact tangent arc
sketch_offset	Offset existing geometry (chains supported) — hollow profiles, wall thickness
sketch_dimension	Add a driving dimension (length/radius/between), optionally setting the value
set_dimension_value	Change an existing dimension
sketch_constraint	Geometric relations: horizontal, vertical, coincident, tangent, equal, ...
sketch_toggle_construction	Toggle construction geometry
get_last_shape_info	Center/edges/size of the last drawn shape (for relative positioning)

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Modeling (11 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
new_part	New blank part document
create_extrusion	Extrude the sketch (BLIND or THROUGH_ALL; merge:false for multi-body work)
create_cut_extrusion	Cut-extrude (auto-flips direction into the body when needed)
combine_bodies	Boolean ADD / SUBTRACT / COMMON on a multi-body part
set_material	Assign a SOLIDWORKS material (needed for real mass numbers)
set_parameter	Set any dimension by name (D1@Boss-Extrude1) — parametric edits
list_parameters	Every driving dimension with its addressable name, value, and owning feature
suppress_feature / delete_feature	Suppress or remove features
get_mass_properties	Mass, volume, surface area, center of mass (optionally vs. a coordinate system)
list_features	The feature tree

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Features — boss & cut (8 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
revolve / cut_revolve	Revolve the sketch about its centerline
sweep / cut_sweep	Sweep a profile sketch along a path sketch
loft / cut_loft	Loft between 2+ profiles on different planes
boundary_boss / boundary_cut	Boundary features with optional guide curves

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Applied features (7 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
fillet	Round edges — pick by coordinates or fillet every edge of a named feature
chamfer	Bevel edges (distance, angle, or two-distance) — by coordinates or every edge of a named feature
shell	Hollow the part, removing chosen faces
draft	Draft faces against a neutral plane
rib	Rib from an open sketch profile
wrap	Emboss / deboss / scribe a sketch onto a face
intersect	Keep the common volume of overlapping bodies

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Patterns & holes (5 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
linear_pattern	1- or 2-direction linear pattern — direction by model axis (X/Y/Z) or edge point
circular_pattern	Pattern around an axis
mirror	Mirror features across a plane or planar face
hole_wizard	Hole Wizard holes (counterbore/countersink/tapped) — see caveat in Troubleshooting
thread	Cosmetic thread on a circular edge

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Reference geometry (4 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
ref_plane	Offset / angled / through-point reference planes
ref_axis	Axis from two points, a cylindrical face, or an edge
ref_point	Point at coordinates, arc center, face center, or on an edge
coordinate_system	Coordinate system at an origin with optional axis edges

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Seeing the model (10 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
get_body_info	Bounding box + face/edge/vertex counts
get_faces	Every face: type, area, normal, sample point, and the feature that created it
get_edges	Every edge: type, endpoints, midpoint, length, adjacent features — filter by type or feature
get_face_edges	One face (by coordinate) and its bounding edges
get_vertices	All vertex coordinates
find_face	Select a face by description: orientation, creating feature, surface type, area rank
look_at_model	Screenshot returned straight into the conversation, with face labels matching get_faces
get_state	Tracked session state + live model context (bounding box, sketch status, config, docs)
get_entity / get_sketch_entities	Drill into any tracked object or sketch

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Documents & assemblies (15 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
save_document	True Save As (bare filenames land in workspace/)
open_document / activate_document / close_document / list_documents	Multi-document sessions
capture_views	Export standard-view PNGs (isometric, front, top, ...) to disk
new_assembly	New assembly document
insert_component	Insert a saved part (first component is auto-fixed)
add_mate	COINCIDENT, CONCENTRIC, PARALLEL, PERPENDICULAR, TANGENT, DISTANCE, ANGLE, LOCK, GEAR
edit_mate	Change a distance/angle mate and get updated positions
check_interference	Overlap volumes + the components involved
suppress_component / list_components / list_mates	Assembly management
get_assembly_mass_properties	Assembly mass properties

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Configurations & equations (7 tools)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
add_configuration / switch_configuration / list_configurations	Named design variants
set_config_parameter	Set a dimension in one configuration only
add_equation / list_equations / delete_equation	Dimension equations that re-solve automatically

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Batching (1 tool)</strong></summary>

Tool	Description
batch	Run up to 25 independent tool calls in a single request (tested for multi-entity sketching)

</details>

How it works

Claude  →  MCP tool call  →  server.py dispatch  →  solidworks/ module  →  SolidWorks COM API

• The server connects to a running SolidWorks instance (or launches one) via COM (pywin32).
• Every created object gets a stable ID (feat:Boss-Extrude1, sketch:Sketch1, comp:bracket-1) tracked per document, so Claude can refer back to things it built — even across multiple parts and an assembly in one session.
• Tools return structured JSON, and geometry-query tools return coordinates that can be fed directly into selection-based tools (fillet this edge, sketch on that face).

Troubleshooting

Claude says it can't connect to SolidWorks

• Make sure SolidWorks is installed and activated; launching SolidWorks before Claude Desktop is the most reliable order.
• If SolidWorks runs elevated, run Claude Desktop as Administrator too (COM won't cross the elevation boundary).

The server doesn't show up in Claude Desktop

• Restart Claude Desktop fully: File → Exit (not just closing the window), then reopen.
• Check the config file for JSON typos: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Microsoft Store installs: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Claude...\LocalCache\Roaming\Claude\).

"No Part template found"

• Templates are auto-discovered at C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS <year>\templates\. If yours live elsewhere, adjust the glob in solidworks/connection.py.

Hole Wizard hangs or errors

• hole_wizard can trigger a blocking SolidWorks dialog on some setups. The reliable fallback is a sketched circle + cut-extrude, which Claude will use if you ask.

Anything else

• Check solidworks_mcp.log next to server.py (easy install: %LOCALAPPDATA%\SolidWorksMCP\app\), then open an issue with the relevant lines.

Development

python test.py            # full test suite (needs a live SolidWorks)
python test.py --list     # list tests; --category / --test / --gui to filter
python dev_server.py      # hot-reload dev server (pip install watchdog)
python clean.py           # close all open SolidWorks documents

There is no mock of the COM layer — tests drive a real SolidWorks instance. tests/agent_capability_tests.md additionally contains 46 copy-paste prompts for end-to-end testing through Claude itself. Architecture notes live in CLAUDE.md.

Contributions welcome — please open an issue or PR.

Known limitations

• Drawing (2D drafting) generation isn't implemented yet.
• hole_wizard may trigger a blocking dialog (see Troubleshooting).
• WIDTH mates aren't implemented; component positioning is mate-driven (direct transform setting isn't available via late-bound COM).
• no PDM / PDM Pro or 3DExperience (Enovia) awareness. If you have extra PDM Pro licenses, or access to the Enovia API docs, please reach out!

License

MIT

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Disclaimer: This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation. "SolidWorks" is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes. Generated geometry should be reviewed before usage. May cause happiness or induce wonder. If your session lasts longer than 3 hours consider drinking water and adjusting your chair.