MCP for 3ds Max — Connect AI Agents to 3ds Max
Archviz scenes are large, layered and full of shared assets. Agents get tools that respect layers, XRefs and the modifier stack instead of flattening everything into an editable mess.
- Host software
- 3ds Max 2024, 2025 and 2026
- Runtime
- Python 3 + pymxs, with MAXScript fallback for legacy operators
- Transport
- stdio (local) and streamable HTTP (studio)
- Install
- Plugin package + npx dccmcp-3dsmax
- Renderers
- Arnold, V-Ray, Corona (settings validated per renderer)
- Platforms
- Windows only, matching the host application
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-16
What is MCP for 3ds Max?
MCP for 3ds Max is a local MCP server plus a 3ds Max plugin that connects AI agents to a real 3ds Max session. Agents discover 9 typed tools — including scene.inspect, object.create, modifier.apply and material.assign — and call them to inspect, create, modify and validate work inside the live application.
Unlike generated 3ds Max scripts, every call is validated against your current document, classified as read, write or execute, and recorded in an audit log. 3ds Max stays open, the document stays live, and destructive operations are checkpointed so they can be rolled back.
It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Desktop, Gemini CLI, Trae, Doubao, Qwen Code, CodeBuddy, Custom MCP clients over stdio or streamable HTTP.
- Host software: 3ds Max 2024, 2025 and 2026
- Runtime: Python 3 + pymxs, with MAXScript fallback for legacy operators
- Transport: stdio (local) and streamable HTTP (studio)
What goes wrong when agents drive 3ds Max without a contract
Unit and scale assumptions break assemblies
Merged interiors, imported CAD and system-unit mismatches produce models that look fine until someone measures a door. Agents need the scene's unit context before they place anything.
Flattening the modifier stack destroys the edit
Automation that collapses a stack to get a result leaves the artist with geometry they can no longer adjust, which is worse than no automation at all.
XRef scenes make ownership ambiguous
When a scene is assembled from XRefs, edits must respect what is local and what belongs to a shared asset — otherwise a change silently propagates to every project using it.
How MCP for 3ds Max keeps intent, structure and traceability intact
Layered assembly
Objects are created into explicit layers with unit-aware dimensions, and the agent reports which layer, XRef and group each object belongs to.
Non-destructive modifiers
Modifier parameters are edited in place rather than collapsed, so the artist keeps the same control they had before the agent ran.
Material library binding
Materials are assigned from a declared library with slot and map validation, so the agent cannot invent shader parameters that the renderer will ignore.
Batch export and submission
Export deterministic sets to FBX, OBJ, USD or glTF with naming tokens, then submit renders with explicit camera and renderer settings.
MCP for 3ds Max tools — every tool and its risk class
scene.inspectUnits, layers, XRef scenes, object counts, groups and render setup.readobject.createCreate primitives or merge external geometry into an explicit layer.writemodifier.applyAdd or edit modifier parameters without collapsing the stack.writematerial.assignAssign and parameterize materials from a declared library.writexref.manageInspect, merge, update and detach XRef scenes with ownership reporting.writelayer.manageCreate, sort and set visibility or render flags per layer.writebatch.exportExport declared selections to FBX, OBJ, USD or glTF with tokenized names.executerender.submitSubmit renders with explicit camera, frame range and renderer settings.executescene.checkpointCreate and restore file checkpoints before destructive operations.write
Install MCP for 3ds Max in four steps
Pre-release. These commands describe the interface we are shipping for MCP for 3ds Max — the packages are not published yet. Get notified when MCP for 3ds Max launches.
Install the plugin package
Install into the 3ds Max plugin path, or deploy through your studio's application package manager for consistent versions across workstations.
3dsmaxbatch -U dccmcp-3dsmax.mzp
Start the bridge
Run the bridge against the open session, or against 3dsmaxbatch for automated passes.
npx dccmcp-3dsmax@latest serve --session active
Register the client
Register the server with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw or any other MCP-compatible client.
{
"mcpServers": {
"3dsmax": { "command": "npx", "args": ["dccmcp-3dsmax", "serve"] }
}
}Lock the unit system
Pin the working unit system so an agent cannot insert geometry at the wrong scale.
dccmcp policy units --system metric --scale millimeters
MCP for 3ds Max works with the agents you already use
- Claude Code
- Codex
- Cursor
- GitHub Copilot
- Claude Desktop
- Gemini CLI
- Trae
- Doubao
- Qwen Code
- CodeBuddy
- Custom MCP clients
Any other MCP-compatible client works too — one config entry, stdio by default.
Other MCP integrations that pair with 3ds Max
10 integrations available
Compare tool lists, support matrices and policies for every supported application.
Questions teams ask before they install
3ds Max 2024, 2025 and 2026, which ship a Python 3 runtime. Older MAXScript-only releases are supported through a reduced tool set on the enterprise track.
Yes. Material and render tools validate settings against the renderer actually installed in the session, so an agent cannot set parameters that your renderer ignores.
Only if a policy explicitly permits it. The default behavior edits modifier parameters in place, which keeps the artist's control intact.
XRef ownership is reported with every object the agent inspects, and writes into shared XRef content are denied by default so a change cannot propagate across projects unnoticed.
No. 3ds Max is a Windows-only application, so the integration follows the host and runs on Windows workstations and build machines.
Put an agent inside your real tools — without putting your pipeline at risk
Install an integration, set a policy, and let your agent inspect, build and validate work in Blender, Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max, Rhino, ZBrush, Photoshop, FreeCAD, QGIS or OpenCV. Free to start, local by default.
macOS · Windows · Linux — no cloud dependency required