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Alchemist for SOLIDWORKS

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Alchemist for SOLIDWORKS

Turns words into parts. An MCP server that lets Claude (or any MCP client) work in SOLIDWORKS: model parts from a plain-language request, take big assemblies apart, get sheet metal ready for the laser and the press brake, and check strength in SOLIDWORKS Simulation — while seeing the model: every view and every stress map comes back to the chat as a picture.

It started as a fork of SolidPilot by Çağatay Bakan and grew from 47 to 134 tools: assemblies, sheet metal, weldments, Simulation with a CalculiX cross-check, GOST drawings and bills of materials.

What you can ask

Area

Examples

Modelling

"Make a 120×80×10 plate with four Ø9 holes 10 mm from the edges and 3 mm fillets", "Revolve this sketch around the axis", "Pattern the slot 6 times around the hub", sweeps, lofts, Hole Wizard, configurations, custom properties. Sketches come out fully defined with real design dimensions

Assemblies

"Show the assembly from the front", "Find interferences", "Which parts are closer than 3 mm to each other?", "Mass and centre of gravity of the frame", "Change Distance1 to 25 mm", "Insert a bolt into the plate's hole and pattern it 4× at 30 mm", "Pack and go to D:\copy"

Sheet metal

"Summary of sheet parts by thickness", "Export flat DXFs named by part number with laser layers", "Make a cut list in Excel", "Check manufacturability: holes near bends, short flanges", "Add an 8 mm hem", "Convert this box to sheet metal"

Strength

"Check the bracket: fixed on face 4, 500 N down on face 9, AISI 1020" → stress, displacement, factor of safety, where the max is and a picture of the stress map; contacts, bolts and welds; hand checks of bolts, welds and beams (EN 1993-1-8); an HTML report; an independent CalculiX cross-check on the same mesh

Weldments and BOMs

"Build a frame from 40×40×2 tube along this sketch", trims, end caps, gussets, weldment cut list, a bill of materials (GOST 2.106 specification in Excel)

Drawings

views laid out in projection on the sheet at a standard scale, dimensions set off the views (only the features you name, if you like), duplicates removed, sections, hole callouts, BOM table, PDF / DXF export; reading a DXF / DWG drawing to rebuild the part

Supplier models

"Convert every STEP in this folder to SOLIDWORKS parts"

Related MCP server: solidworks-mcp-pro

How it works

Claude ⇄ MCP ⇄ adapter (Python, adapters/claude) ⇄ HTTP ⇄ SolidworksExecution.exe (C#) ⇄ COM ⇄ SOLIDWORKS

  • The adapter describes the tools to Claude and starts the execution server on the first call.

  • SolidworksExecution.exe is a background server with no window that drives the SOLIDWORKS API. It is built at install time against the API of your installed SOLIDWORKS, so it always matches your version.

  • By default Claude works in its own hidden SOLIDWORKS instance and does not get in your way (install.ps1 -SharedInstance makes it work in the window you have open).

  • Every tool speaks millimetres and degrees (Simulation: mm, N, MPa) and answers one JSON object.

Install

You need Windows, SOLIDWORKS (tested with 2024 SP1; SOLIDWORKS Simulation for the strength tools), Python 3.11+ and Claude Desktop or Claude Code.

git clone https://github.com/AlchemistCache/alchemist-solidworks-mcp.git
cd alchemist-solidworks-mcp
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install.ps1

The installer creates .venv, installs the dependencies, builds SolidworksExecution.exe (the C# compiler is downloaded from nuget.org once, ~21 MB) and registers the solidworks server in Claude Desktop (backing up the config). Then restart Claude.

Switches: -Test runs a smoke test on a live SOLIDWORKS, -SharedInstance, -NoRegister, -Dev (pytest, ruff), -SwApiDir <SOLIDWORKS folder>\api\redist if SOLIDWORKS is not in C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS.

Update: git pull, then run install.ps1 again (it rebuilds the exe).

Tools

134 tools in groups; the full list with parameters is in docs/TOOLS.md. Groups marked on request are off until you use them, to save context — Claude finds their tools with tool_help and runs them through execute_batch, which switches the group on (it then starts on for the next 30 days).

Group

Tools

Documents and files (16)

ensure_ready, open_new_part, open_document, export_document, verify_state, close_document, save_document, get_selection, set_part_material, activate_document, batch_export_files, unreferenced_files, run_macro, import_step, import_step_folder, set_document_units

Sketches (10)

create_sketch, add_sketch_entity, add_sketch_entities, sketch_modify, add_sketch_constraint, add_dimension, define_sketch, edit_sketch, modify_dimension, add_sketch_text

Part features (13)

extrude_feature, create_rib, hole_wizard, add_edge_feature, add_reference_geometry, create_pattern, edit_feature, list_materials, add_plane_angle, add_axis_two_points, sweep_pipe, loft, set_body_visibility

Drawings (15) · on request

create_drawing, add_drawing_view, add_flat_pattern_view, add_drawing_dimension, auto_dimension_drawing, auto_center_marks, add_hole_callout, add_section_view, analyze_drawing, check_drawing, move_drawing_view, layout_drawing_views, dedupe_drawing_dimensions, add_dimension_between, insert_bom_table

Reading and checking the model (4)

analyze_model, compare_parts, compare_assemblies, dimension_for_face

Background jobs and batches (2)

job_result, execute_batch

Assemblies (31)

list_components, delete_components, list_open_documents, interference_check, clearance_check, measure_components, mass_properties, list_references, get_custom_properties, bom_export, bom_gost, set_component_state, set_appearance, move_component, replace_component, pack_and_go, set_custom_properties, configurations, form_subassembly, export_components, list_mates, edit_mate, add_mate_advanced, insert_and_mate, pattern_components, constraint_status, open_new_assembly, analyze_assembly, insert_component, add_mate, save_body_as_part

Sheet metal (10) · on request

sheet_metal_cutlist, sheet_metal_hem, sheet_metal_miter_flange, sheet_metal_cross_break, sheet_metal_gusset, convert_to_sheet_metal, sheet_metal_info, export_flat_dxf, sheet_metal_dfm, sheet_metal_feature

Strength: SOLIDWORKS Simulation and hand checks (22) · on request

sim_status, sim_create_study, sim_delete_study, sim_set_material, sim_add_fixture, sim_add_load, sim_contact, sim_mesh, sim_run, sim_results, sim_plot, sim_image, sim_crosscheck, sim_connector, sim_contact_set, sim_mesh_control, sim_options, sim_copy_study, sim_report, bolt_check, weld_check, beam_check

Weldments (7) · on request

weldment_profiles, create_weldment_profiles, weldment_member, weldment_cut_list, weldment_trim, weldment_end_cap, weldment_gusset

Pictures of the model (2)

view_image, view_images

Help (1)

tool_help

Tool groups (1)

enable_tools

Claude skills

skills/ holds ready workflows: sheet-assembly-strength (strength of a sheet part or assembly: fixtures, loads, contacts, mesh, maps, hand check, report) and sheet-metal-production (sheet metal to production: DFM, laser DXF, cut list, BOM). install.ps1 installs them for Claude Code (%USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills) and puts zips into dist\skills — upload those in Claude Desktop under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Tips

  • Start a session with "get SolidWorks ready" (ensure_ready) — the first start of the hidden SOLIDWORKS takes up to a minute.

  • Face and edge indices for operations come from analyze_model(faces / edges) and analyze_assembly.

  • Long tool descriptions are trimmed (about a third less context per request); the full text and topic help are in tool_help. Full descriptions always: environment variable SWMCP_DOCS=full.

  • Tool groups: only the base tools and assemblies are on by default; a group used in the last 30 days switches on by itself. Setting: SWMCP_TOOLS in adapters/claude/.env (all — everything).

  • Sheet metal in Simulation is meshed as shells: put loads on the large faces of a sheet, not on the thin sides.

  • VBA macros (run_macro) run only from the project's macros\ folder.

  • Simulation studies live in the document — save the part / assembly to keep them.

  • Long operations on big assemblies answer {"running": true, "job_id": …} after ~45 s and keep working; Claude collects the result with job_result (MCP clients cut a call at about 60 s).

Troubleshooting

Symptom

What to do

Not sure what is wrong

.venv\Scripts\python.exe tools\doctor.py — Python and packages, SOLIDWORKS and Simulation, the exe built and fresh, the server, the registration

No solidworks tools in Claude

restart Claude; check tools\register_claude.py

COM_ATTACH_FAILED

SOLIDWORKS and Claude run with different rights (one "as administrator"), or a dialog / licence prompt is open

Build error during install

SOLIDWORKS not in the default folder → install.ps1 -SwApiDir ...

SIMULATION_UNAVAILABLE

no SOLIDWORKS Simulation licence / add-in

Logs

execution\solidworks\SolidworksExecution\bin\Debug\execution.log, adapters\claude\adapter.log

Documentation

License

AGPL-3.0 (see LICENSE), like the original SolidPilot © Çağatay Bakan. SOLIDWORKS is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes; this project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dassault Systèmes or Anthropic.

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