Get TouchDesigner build, version, OS, and the touchdesigner-agent-mcp API version.

Use this first to confirm connectivity to TouchDesigner. Returns {server, version, osName, osVersion, mcpApiVersion}.

List the tools this server exposes, with names, descriptions, and schemas.

A manifest for code-execution agents that want to discover the available TouchDesigner tool surface. Introspected locally; does not contact TouchDesigner. Returns {count, tools: [{name, description, [inputSchema, annotations]}]}.

List child operators under a path, optionally filtered by a name pattern.

Returns {nodes: [{id, name, path, opType, properties}]}. Set include_properties=true only when you need values — the light default is faster for large networks.

Get an operator's parameters and current values.

Call this before updating parameters — TD names rarely match labels. Returns {id, name, path, opType, properties}.

Collect error messages for an operator and its descendants.

Returns {nodePath, nodeName, opType, errorCount, hasErrors, errors}. TD updates its error cache on frame boundaries — prefer checking errors in a request separate from the mutation that may have caused them.

Create a new operator under a parent.

Returns the created node summary. TD auto-increments the name on collision, so check the returned name/path.

Set parameter values on an operator.

Returns {path, updated, failed: [{name, reason}], message}. Unknown names go to failed rather than raising — everything in failed means the names were wrong.

Delete an operator by path.

Destructive and not undoable through this tool. Returns {deleted: true, node: {...}} on success.

Call a method on an operator (e.g. cook, pulse, reset).

Returns {result: <serialized return value>}. Use for operator actions that are not parameter writes.

Execute a Python script in TouchDesigner's interpreter and capture output.

Runs with the TouchDesigner API in scope plus the bundled tdapi helpers. Returns {result, stdout, stderr}.

This runs arbitrary, un-sandboxed code in the user's TouchDesigner process — prefer the dedicated node tools for routine edits; use this for logic the other tools do not cover.

List the Python classes and modules available in the td module.

Returns {classes: [{name, description}]}. Pair with get_td_class_details to drill in.

Get methods, properties, and docstrings for a TouchDesigner class.

Returns {name, type, description, methods, properties}.

Capture Python help() output for a TouchDesigner module or class.

Returns {moduleName, helpText} with terminal control codes stripped.

Return the current network-editor pane: path, pan, zoom, viewport size.

Use this to learn where the user is looking before editing there. Returns {path, tx, ty, zoom, viewportSize} (or {pane: null}).

Return operators currently selected in the active pane.

Returns {count, ops: [{path, name, type, opType, family, x, y}]}.

Force-cook an operator (and optionally its descendants).

TouchDesigner does not always re-cook operators inside a nested baseCOMP referenced indirectly, so a stale buffer can make a correct edit look broken. Call this on the parent COMP whenever results look stale before debugging anything else. Returns {cooked, totalCookTimeMs, errors}.

Capture a TOP/COMP viewer or the network editor pane as an image.

Use this to actually see the result of edits instead of guessing. target is a TOP/COMP path, or 'pane' for the current network editor. Small inline captures are returned as a viewable image; large captures (or return_as='path') return a temp-file path string.

Wire one operator's outlet to another's inlet, validating compatibility.

TouchDesigner only connects same-family operators via connectors; a cross-family attempt (e.g. TOP -> SOP) returns a descriptive error rather than failing silently.

Layout intelligence: find an empty area, test overlap, or chain operators.

• find_empty_area (needs base): returns {x, y} for a non-overlapping widthxheight block.

• check_overlap (needs path): returns {overlaps: bool}.

• chain (needs ops): connects operators in order, laid out left-to-right with spacing.

Read or write a GLSL shader stage, resolving the correct docked DAT.

A GLSL TOP keeps its source in _pixel_shader / _vertex_shader DATs docked to the parent — never guess that DAT's name or set .text on it directly. Omit code to read; pass code to write (set return_compiled=true to re-cook and surface compile errors). Returns {stage, docked_dat_path, code, errors}.

Create a complete, pre-wired network from a template.

Prefer this over hand-wiring common setups: each template handles creation, connector compatibility, naming, layout, and the first force-cook. Returns {template, createdOps, wiring, entryPoint, description}.

Save a Component (COMP) operator to an external .tox file.

Load an external .tox file into a target Component (COMP).

Save the TouchDesigner project (.toe). Use this to checkpoint your work.

Scan a directory for usable TouchDesigner media files (video, audio, images, geometry).

Returns a list of relative file paths that can be loaded into moviefileinTOP, fileinSOP, audiofileinCHOP, etc.