dcc-mcp-substance3d-painter

Agent workflow

AI agents should use the shared gateway through dcc-mcp-cli; IDE users may continue to use the MCP endpoint. Prefer typed skills and tools over raw scripts.

Install or update the CLI

dcc-mcp-cli is the preferred control path for every shell-capable agent. If it is missing, ask the user before installing the latest official release:

# Linux/macOS
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dcc-mcp/dcc-mcp-core/main/scripts/install-cli.sh | sh

# Windows PowerShell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dcc-mcp/dcc-mcp-core/main/scripts/install-cli.ps1 | iex"

Keep an official build current through the release manifest:

dcc-mcp-cli update check
dcc-mcp-cli update apply

update apply downloads and stages the latest CLI for the next launch. It does not update a running dcc-mcp-server; update that server in its own environment.

dcc-mcp-cli dcc-types
dcc-mcp-cli list
dcc-mcp-cli search --query "<task>" --dcc-type substance3d_painter
dcc-mcp-cli describe <tool-slug>
dcc-mcp-cli call <tool-slug> --json '{"key":"value"}'

dcc-types reports release-catalog support; list reports live sessions. If a tool belongs to an inactive progressive skill, call dcc-mcp-cli load-skill <skill-name> --dcc-type substance3d_painter before retrying. For post-task improvement, attach a stable session id with --meta-json, query dcc-mcp-cli stats --range 24h --session-id <task-id>, then pass the bounded evidence to the review_skill_improvement prompt from dcc-mcp-skills-creator.

Substance 3D Painter adapter for the DCC Model Context Protocol (MCP).

It embeds a Streamable HTTP MCP server in Painter and routes host API calls through Painter's Qt main thread. Painter uses an OS-assigned port by default and advertises the endpoint through DCC-MCP discovery.

Related MCP server: Maya MCP Server

Install and load

Install into the Python environment Painter uses:

python -m pip install dcc-mcp-substance3d-painter

Point SUBSTANCE_PAINTER_PLUGINS_PATH at the installed package's dcc_mcp_substance3d_painter/painter folder and add the installation root to PYTHONPATH. Painter discovers the packaged startup/dcc_mcp_substance3d_painter_plugin.py entry point and starts the adapter automatically.

Set DCC_MCP_SUBSTANCE3D_PAINTER_PORT before launching Painter only when a fixed port is required; 0 keeps automatic allocation. Standard DCC_MCP_GATEWAY_PORT and DCC_MCP_REGISTRY_DIR settings are also honoured.

Bundled skills

painter-project provides typed tools for a complete material-authoring pass:

• inspect the project and texture sets;

• create PBR fill layers;

• search Painter resources and apply smart materials;

• list export presets, save the .spp, and export textures.

The tools use Painter resource and preset URLs supplied by Painter itself. They do not expose raw JavaScript or arbitrary script execution.

Development

python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"
python -m pytest
ruff check src tests tools
python -m build

Releases use release-please. The release.yml workflow publishes through the pypi environment using PyPI Trusted Publishing.