How does MCP Connector for 3ds Max know which document to work with?

MCP Connector for 3ds Max works with the active document in 3ds Max. Whichever project is in the foreground is what your AI assistant will interact with. To work with a different document, simply click on it in 3ds Max to make it active before asking. If you run more than one 3ds Max version at the same time, the connector stays with the 3ds Max instance it first connected to - close that instance and it automatically reconnects to the other.

What tools are included?

MCP Connector for 3ds Max adds 63 MCP tools across 11 categories - query; creation; modification; modifiers; materials; layers; views; animation; rendering; files; and scripting. 19 of those are free and strictly read-only, covering scene queries, inspection, selection, viewport navigation and screenshots.

What happens if 3ds Max crashes while using MCP?

The Bridge automatically detects when 3ds Max disconnects and will attempt to reconnect when you open a new 3ds Max session.

I configured Claude Desktop but no tools appear. Why?

The most common cause is having the Microsoft Store version of Claude Desktop installed. The Store build does not read the standard %APPDATA%\Claude config folder - Windows redirects it into a sandboxed package location that auto-configuration never writes to, so no tools load. Install the standalone build from claude.ai/download and re-run Configure Claude Desktop, or copy your config file into the redirected package folder. Otherwise, make sure 3ds Max is running with a document open and that you fully quit and reopened Claude Desktop from the system tray after configuring.

Does it work with the ChatGPT Desktop app?

Yes. When the ChatGPT Desktop app is installed, it appears in the connector dialog and Configure ChatGPT Desktop sets it up in one click. The configuration is written to %USERPROFILE%\.codex\config.toml, which ChatGPT shares with the Codex CLI - so Codex CLI picks up the 3ds Max tools too. Fully quit ChatGPT and reopen it after configuring, then ask it to "ping 3ds Max" with a model open to confirm the connection. Note that the 3ds Max tools are available in ChatGPT's Work area, not in regular Chat, and the connection is per-conversation - if ChatGPT reports the 3ds Max MCP is not connected, start a new conversation in Work.

5 min read Updated July 2026

MCP Connector for 3ds Max Documentation

Complete guide to installing, configuring, and using MCP Connector for 3ds Max - 63 MCP tools across 11 categories, including the 19 read-only free tools, driven by Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, Cursor, or Claude Code.

Installation Get up and running in minutes

Configuration Configure Claude, ChatGPT & Cursor

Pro Tool Packs 63 MCP tools across 11 categories

Supported 3ds Max Versions

3ds Max 2024
3ds Max 2025
3ds Max 2026
3ds Max 2027

AI Applications

Claude Desktop
ChatGPT Desktop
Cursor
Claude Code

Installation

Before you begin

Close 3ds Max before running the installer.

Download the Installer

Download the latest version of MCP Connector for 3ds Max from the product page.

Run the Installer

Double-click the downloaded .exe file and follow the wizard, accepting the licence agreement and privacy policy. The connector installs to the 3ds Max plug-in bundle folder and wires up any AI clients it finds.

Launch 3ds Max

Open 3ds Max. The connector starts automatically and begins listening for your AI client.

Start Working

Open your AI client and ask it something about the scene. If you have a licence key, run MCP Connector Licence to activate the Pro tools.

The AUTOM8LABS Macros

The connector starts with 3ds Max, so there is nothing to switch on for normal use. Four macros are registered under the AUTOM8LABS category. Find them in Customize > Customize User Interface, filter the category to AUTOM8LABS, and drag any of them onto a toolbar or assign a shortcut.

MCP Connector Status - whether the connector is running, and which AI clients are configured
MCP Connector Licence - activate or deactivate your licence, and see how many licences are in use
MCP Connector Setup - re-run AI client configuration, for example after installing a new client
MCP Connector Stop - stop the connector for this session

Configuration

The installer configures every supported AI client it can find. To re-run it later - after installing a new client, for example - run the MCP Connector Setup macro.

Claude Desktop

Configuration is written to:

                        Path
                    
                        %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Microsoft Store builds of Claude Desktop

The Store build reads its configuration from a sandboxed copy inside the package folder, not from %APPDATA%\Claude. The connector detects this and writes to both locations, so a Store install is configured correctly either way.

ChatGPT Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop reads MCP servers from the Codex configuration file, which it shares with the Codex CLI:

                        Path
                    
                        %USERPROFILE%\.codex\config.toml

Cursor

                        Path
                    
                        %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

Manual configuration

For any other MCP client, point it at the Bridge executable. The server key is AUTOM8LABS_3dsMax:

                        JSON
                    

                        {
  "mcpServers": {
    "AUTOM8LABS_3dsMax": {
      "command": "C:\\ProgramData\\Autodesk\\ApplicationPlugins\\AUTOM8LABS.MCPConnector3dsMax.bundle\\Contents\\Bridge\\MCPConnector3dsMax.Bridge.exe",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}
                    

Restart your AI client after any configuration change so it picks up the new server.

Claude Desktop Settings

MCP Connector for 3ds Max exposes 63 tools. In Claude Desktop, enable Load tools when needed so tools are loaded on demand rather than all at once.

Use Chat, not Cowork

Claude Desktop has a mode selector at the bottom of the message box: Chat and Cowork. MCP connectors run in Chat conversations. In Cowork, your 3ds Max requests will not reach the connector and Claude behaves as if 3ds Max is not connected - even though the connector is configured correctly. Before you start, check the selector is set to Chat.

Note this is the opposite way round to ChatGPT Desktop, where the 3ds Max tools are available in Work rather than regular Chat.

Tool Reference

MCP Connector for 3ds Max exposes 63 MCP tools - 19 free and 44 Pro. Every tool name shown is the exact identifier your AI client sees. Under each description is an example prompt - click any prompt to copy it, paste it into your AI client, and adjust the names and numbers to suit your scene.

Tools marked Free work on an unlicensed install. Tools marked Pro need an activated licence - on a free install they are not listed at all.

Query

Read the scene - objects, properties, selection and statistics. Free apart from the property search.

Tool	Example prompt
Check the connector is alive and reachable from your AI client.
`ping` Free	Are you connected to 3ds Max?
Scene name, file path, unit setup, object count and current frame.
`get_scene_info` Free	What is this scene and what units is it in?
List objects, optionally filtered by name pattern, category or layer.
`list_objects` Free	List every object on the Facade layer
Full property read for named objects - transform, geometry, layer, material and display flags.
`get_object_properties` Free	Give me the properties of Box001 and Sphere002
What is currently selected in the scene.
`get_selection` Free	What have I got selected?
Select objects by exact name or name pattern, replacing or adding to the selection.
`select_objects` Free	Select everything whose name starts with Column
Scene totals plus the heaviest objects by face count - the first stop when a scene feels slow.
`get_scene_statistics` Free	What are the heaviest objects in this scene?
List groups and their members.
`list_groups` Free	What groups are in this scene?
Find objects whose property matches a value - the query that answers "which ones are wrong".
`find_objects_by_property` Pro	Find every object that is not renderable

Creation

Make new geometry, splines, text, cameras, lights and helpers. All Pro - the free tier does not create anything.

Tool	Example prompt
Create a box, sphere, cylinder, cone, torus, plane, teapot, tube or pyramid at a position, with size and segment control.
`create_primitive` Pro	Create a 2000 by 1000 by 400 box called Plinth at the origin
Create a spline through a list of points, open or closed.
`create_spline` Pro	Draw a closed spline through those four corner points
Create a text shape at a size and position.
`create_text_shape` Pro	Add text reading NORTH at 250mm high in front of the model
Clone objects as copies, instances or references, with a count and offset.
`clone_objects` Pro	Make 5 instances of Column001 spaced 3000mm apart in X
Create a targeted or free camera at a position, with an optional field of view.
`create_camera` Pro	Put a camera at the south west corner looking at the tower
Create an omni, spot or directional light with intensity and colour.
`create_light` Pro	Add a warm spot light above the entrance
Create a point or dummy helper - the usual parent for a rig or an array.
`create_helper` Pro	Add a dummy at the centre of the selection

Modification

Transform, rename, delete, group, align and mirror. All Pro - these change the scene, so they sit behind the licence.

Tool	Example prompt
Delete named objects.
`delete_objects` Pro	Delete Box001 and Box002
Rename objects explicitly, or in bulk with a prefix or suffix.
`rename_objects` Pro	Rename everything selected with the prefix FAC_
Move objects by a relative offset or to an absolute position.
`move_objects` Pro	Move the selection 1500mm up in Z
Rotate objects by Euler angles, relative or absolute.
`rotate_objects` Pro	Rotate Column001 by 45 degrees about Z
Scale objects uniformly or per axis, relative or absolute.
`scale_objects` Pro	Scale the selection to 150 percent
Hide or unhide objects by name or pattern, or unhide everything.
`hide_objects` Pro	Hide everything on the Site layer
Set wire colour, renderable, shadow casting and receiving, and frozen state.
`set_object_properties` Pro	Make the selection non-renderable and freeze it
Group named objects under a group name.
`group_objects` Pro	Group the selected panels as Facade_Bay_01
Ungroup named groups.
`ungroup_objects` Pro	Ungroup Facade_Bay_01
Align objects to a target object, per axis.
`align_objects` Pro	Align the selected objects to Column001 in X and Y only
Mirror objects about an axis, optionally cloning and offsetting.
`mirror_objects` Pro	Mirror the selection about X and keep a copy

Modifiers

Read, add, adjust, remove and collapse the modifier stack. Reading the stack is free.

Tool	Example prompt
List the modifier stack on an object, in order.
`list_modifiers` Free	What modifiers are on Box001?
Add a modifier by friendly name - bend, twist, taper, shell, turbosmooth, edit poly, UVW map, noise, symmetry, lattice, smooth, relax, push or skew - with properties.
`add_modifier` Pro	Add a shell modifier 20mm thick to the selected surfaces
Set one property on one modifier in the stack, addressed by index.
`set_modifier_property` Pro	Set the turbosmooth iterations on Box001 to 2
Remove a modifier from the stack by index.
`remove_modifier` Pro	Remove the second modifier from the selection
Collapse the modifier stack to editable geometry.
`collapse_stack` Pro	Collapse the stack on everything selected

Materials

Inspect, create and assign physical materials, set properties and wire bitmap textures. Inspection is free; authoring is Pro.

Tool	Example prompt
List scene materials with class and how many objects use each.
`list_materials` Free	What materials are in this scene?
Read a material's properties.
`get_material_properties` Free	Show me the properties of the Concrete material
Create a physical material with base colour, metalness, roughness, transparency and emission, optionally placed in an editor slot.
`create_physical_material` Pro	Create a dark matt concrete material and put it in slot 1
Assign a material to named objects.
`assign_material` Pro	Assign Concrete to every object named Wall*
Set a single property on a material.
`set_material_property` Pro	Set the roughness of Concrete to 0.8
Wire a bitmap into a material slot - base colour, roughness, metalness, bump or cutout.
`apply_bitmap_texture` Pro	Put that texture file into the base colour of Concrete
Add a UVW map modifier with a projection type and tiling.
`add_uvw_map` Pro	Add a box UVW map to the selection tiled twice in U

Layers

List, create and manage layers, move objects between them and clear out empties. Listing is free.

Tool	Example prompt
List layers with node counts and hidden, frozen and current state.
`list_layers` Free	What layers are in this scene and which is current?
Create a layer, optionally making it current.
`create_layer` Pro	Create a layer called Facade and make it current
Move named objects onto an existing layer.
`move_to_layer` Pro	Move everything selected onto the Facade layer
Set a layer hidden, frozen or current.
`set_layer_properties` Pro	Freeze the Site layer
Delete every layer with nothing on it, reporting what went.
`delete_empty_layers` Pro	Clean up the empty layers

Views

Drive the viewport and capture screenshots. All navigation and capture is free - handy for showing your AI client what you are looking at.

Tool	Example prompt
Active viewport type, camera and render level.
`get_viewport_info` Free	What am I looking at right now?
Switch the active viewport to top, front, left, right, perspective or a named camera.
`set_viewport` Free	Switch to the top view
Zoom to the whole scene or just the selection.
`zoom_extents` Free	Zoom to the selection
Write a PNG of the active viewport, optionally scaled to a width.
`create_viewport_screenshot` Free	Take a screenshot of the viewport at 1600 wide
Set wireframe or shaded display, with optional edged faces.
`set_display_mode` Pro	Show the viewport shaded with edged faces

Animation

Read the animation setup, set the time range and key transforms. Reading is free.

Tool	Example prompt
Frame range, frame rate, current frame and which objects are animated.
`get_animation_info` Free	What is animated in this scene?
Set the animation start, end and frame rate.
`set_time_range` Pro	Set the timeline to 0 to 250 at 25 fps
Key an object's position, rotation and scale at given frames.
`animate_transform` Pro	Move the camera from the entrance to the courtyard over 100 frames
Delete all keys from named objects.
`delete_animation` Pro	Clear the animation off the camera

Rendering

Read and set render settings, and render a frame to disk. Reading the settings is free.

Tool	Example prompt
Current output size, output path, renderer and frame range.
`get_render_settings` Free	What are the render settings?
Set the output width, height and output path.
`set_render_settings` Pro	Set the render to 1920 by 1080
Render a frame to a file, optionally from a named camera at a given size.
`render_frame` Pro	Render frame 0 from Camera001 at 1920 by 1080

Files

Scene file information, saving, importing, merging, format conversion and missing-asset checks. Reading file info is free.

Tool	Example prompt
Scene file name, path and whether there are unsaved changes.
`get_file_info` Free	Has this scene got unsaved changes?
Save the scene, or save it as a new file.
`save_scene` Pro	Save this as a new file called tower_v02.max
Import a file into the current scene.
`import_file` Pro	Import that OBJ into the scene
Write the scene, or just the selection, to another format - FBX, OBJ, STL, 3DS, glTF or DWG - taken from the file extension.
`convert_scene_to_format` Pro	Write the selection out as an FBX
Merge another scene file into this one.
`merge_scene_file` Pro	Merge the site model into this scene
List texture and asset paths referenced by the scene that are missing on disk.
`list_missing_assets` Pro	Are any textures missing?

Scripting

A deliberate escape hatch for anything the tools above do not cover. Off unless you switch it on - see the note below the table.

Tool	Example prompt
Run a MAXScript expression and return its result. Disabled unless the machine-level opt-in is set.
`execute_maxscript` Pro	Run a MAXScript one-liner to report the scene bounding box

Script execution is off by default

Arbitrary script execution is a real capability, so it is gated behind a machine-level opt-in. Set the environment variable MCP_CONNECTOR_ENABLE_SCRIPT_EXEC=1 and restart 3ds Max to enable it. With the variable unset, calling execute_maxscript returns an error rather than running anything.

Troubleshooting

The AI client does not see the 3ds Max tools

Restart the AI client after installing - MCP servers are read at client start-up
Claude Desktop: make sure the message box is set to Chat, not Cowork - connectors are not available in Cowork
Run MCP Connector Status in 3ds Max to confirm the connector is running and see which clients are configured
If the client was installed after the connector, run MCP Connector Setup to configure it

Tools are listed but every call fails

3ds Max needs to be open. The Bridge is reachable whether or not 3ds Max is running, so a client can list the tools and still have nothing to talk to - calls return a clear error rather than hanging.

Only the free tools are showing

Pro tools are not listed at all on an unlicensed install. Run MCP Connector Licence, activate your key, then restart your AI client so it re-reads the tool list.

All licences are in use

Licences are per seat. Open MCP Connector Licence and click the licences in use line to see which machines are holding them and when each was last seen. A seat returns to the pool when that machine closes 3ds Max.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an API key or an AI subscription?

You bring your own AI. The connector links 3ds Max to whichever MCP client you already use - Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, Cursor or Claude Code. It does not call any AI service itself and there is no AI usage cost from us.

Does anything leave my machine?

The connector talks to your AI client over a local named pipe on the same machine. Whatever you choose to ask about goes to your AI client under its own privacy terms. The connector contacts our licence server only to validate your key.

What can I do without a licence?

The free tier is 19 read-only tools - reading the scene and its objects, inspecting modifiers, materials, layers and render settings, moving the viewport and taking screenshots. Nothing in it changes your scene. It does not expire.

Which 3ds Max versions are supported?

3ds Max 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Can I move my licence to another machine?

Yes. Open MCP Connector Licence and deactivate - that frees the seat immediately, and you can activate on the new machine with the same key.

Will it undo cleanly?

Every scene-changing tool wraps its work in a single named undo entry, so one Ctrl+Z reverses one tool call rather than leaving you stepping back through fragments.

Changelog

v1.0.0

First release - 63 MCP tools across query, creation, modification, modifiers, materials, layers, views, animation, rendering, files and scripting
19-tool read-only free tier; Pro unlocks the remaining 44
Auto-configuration for Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop and Cursor, including Microsoft Store builds of Claude Desktop
Per-seat licensing with a live view of which machines are using a licence