Bambu Studio MCP (bambu-studio-mcp)

A full-featured, 100% printer-agnostic Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Bambu Studio and Bambu Lab 3D printers.

Bambu Studio is powerful, but its interface exposes 200+ dense, interconnected parameters across 6 tabs (Quality, Strength, Speed, Support, Others, Filament). bambu-studio-mcp bridges the gap between plain-English intent and Bambu Studio's slicer engine, profiles, 3MF project files, headless CLI, live desktop GUI window, and live printer/AMS hardware.

Key Capabilities

1. Smart Slicing Advisor & Settings Encyclopedia

   • smart_slicing_advisor: Translates plain-English goals (e.g., "strong functional bracket", "high detail miniature", "fast draft prototype", "watertight planter", "dimensionally accurate tight holes", "AMS low-poop multicolor") + filament type (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, Silk PLA, PA-CF) + nozzle size (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mm) into concrete Bambu Studio setting overrides and a step-by-step GUI walkthrough (Tab -> Section -> Field).

   • explain_bambu_setting: Demystifies any Bambu Studio JSON key or GUI label with plain-English explanations, recommended ranges, and trade-offs.

   • diagnose_print_defect: Diagnoses common failures (nozzle scraping Grid infill, warping corners, stringing, fused supports, tight tolerances, pillowing) and returns exact setting fixes.

2. Live Desktop GUI Automation

   • control_bambu_studio_gui: Interacts directly with your currently open Bambu Studio desktop window—click Add Plate (add_plate), Add Object (add_object), Auto Orient (auto_orient), Arrange (auto_arrange), Variable Layer Height (variable_layer_height), Slice Plate (slice_plate), switch tabs (tab_prepare, tab_preview, tab_device, tab_project), or inspect and screenshot the live window (inspect).

3. 100% Printer-Agnostic Profile Discovery & Preset Builder

   • list_bambu_profiles: Automatically discovers all installed Machine (X1C, P1S, P1P, A1, A1 mini, X1E, H2D, P2S, Prusa, Voron, Creality, etc.), Filament, and Process profiles from your local Bambu Studio installation and user folders across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

   • inspect_bambu_profile: Resolves Bambu Studio's multi-level "inherits" chain from base template to leaf preset.

   • compare_bambu_profiles: Diffs any two profiles side-by-side (e.g., 0.20mm Standard vs. 0.20mm Strength).

   • create_custom_preset: Saves custom presets directly into your Bambu Studio user presets folder so they appear in your dropdowns.

4. 3MF & STL Geometry Inspector, 11-Point Printability Audit & Auto-Repair

   • inspect_3d_model: Pure-Python .stl (binary & ASCII) and .3mf analyzer that calculates bounding box dimensions ($X \times Y \times Z$ in mm), volume ($\text{cm}^3$), surface area, bottom bed contact area, steep overhang area ($>35^\circ$), estimated PLA weight, build-volume fit, and an 11-Point Printability & Topology Audit (0–100 score covering watertight manifold check, non-manifold edges, degenerate faces, outward normals, floating mid-air shells, bed adhesion, tipping stability, overhang severity, bridge risk, scale sanity, and printer fit).

   • repair_3d_mesh: Automatically repairs an .stl mesh—removes zero-area degenerate and duplicate triangles, flips inverted face normals if total signed volume is negative, and grounds the model flat onto $Z = 0.0\text{ mm}$.

   • optimize_3mf_project: Injects Smart Advisor recommendations or custom overrides directly into a .3mf file's Metadata/project_settings.config without opening the GUI.

   • add_plate_to_3mf: Programmatically adds a new empty build plate (<plate>) to any .3mf project file.

5. Perceptual CIELAB ($\Delta E_{2000}$) AMS Color Matching & 3D Model Discovery

   • match_ams_colors: Converts target RGB/Hex colors into perceptual CIELAB ($L^, a^, b^*$) space and computes CIEDE2000 ($\Delta E_{2000}$) color distance against your .3mf project's loaded filaments (or the official Bambu Lab PLA Basic palette) to recommend the best AMS slot mapping.

   • search_3d_models: Searches MakerWorld, Printables, and Thangs for ready-to-print 3D models with live download/like counts and direct URLs.

6. Headless CLI Slicing, Cost/Time Estimator & GUI Launcher

   • slice_model_headless: Runs bambu-studio CLI headlessly (--slice 0 --export-3mf) with resolved printer/process/filament profiles and overrides.

   • parse_sliced_file_metrics: Extracts exact print time (Xh Ym Zs), filament weight (g), length (m), per-slot AMS usage, layer count, and estimated filament cost ($) from any .gcode.3mf or .gcode file.

   • open_in_bambu_studio: Opens any .3mf or .stl directly in the Bambu Studio desktop application.

7. Direct Live Printer & AMS Control (Local LAN MQTT-TLS)

   • get_live_printer_status: Zero-dependency native Python TLS MQTT 3.1.1 client connecting to port 8883 (bblp + LAN Access Code) to read live print progress, layer number, remaining time, nozzle/bed/chamber temperatures, HMS alerts, and loaded AMS slots (filament type, hex color, remaining %).

   • control_live_printer: Pause, resume, or stop prints, toggle the chamber light, or change print speed (Silent, Standard, Sport, Ludicrous).

Related MCP server: OrcaSlicer MCP Server

Zero-Dependency Quick Start

bambu-studio-mcp includes both FastMCP support and a built-in standard-library JSON-RPC 2.0 stdio MCP fallback, meaning it runs out-of-the-box on any Python 3.10+ installation even before installing third-party packages.

Option 1: Install via pip

git clone https://github.com/BananaRama123/bambu-studio-mcp.git
cd bambu-studio-mcp
pip install -e .

Then add to your MCP client configuration (~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bambu-studio": {
      "command": "bambu-studio-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Run Directly from Source (Zero Install)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bambu-studio": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-u", "-m", "bambu_studio_mcp.server"],
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/absolute/path/to/bambu-studio-mcp/src"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available MCP Tools (24 Tools)

Running the Automated Test Suite

python -m unittest discover -s tests -p "test_*.py" -v

Acknowledgments & Upstream Credits

Special thanks to the open-source projects and authors whose work inspired key capabilities in bambu-studio-mcp:

• heyixuan2/bambu-studio-ai by @heyixuan2 — Inspired the 11-Point Printability Audit, perceptual CIELAB ($\Delta E$) nearest-neighbor AMS color mapping, automated mesh repair, and MakerWorld / Printables model discovery pipelines.

• mikedh/trimesh by @mikedh (Michael Dawson-Haggerty et al.) — Upstream reference for 3D triangle mesh topology verification, watertight manifold checks, and mesh repair conventions used by bambu-studio-ai.

• BambuTools/bambulabs_api — Upstream reference for Bambu Lab LAN MQTT telemetry and AMS tray schemas.

• bambulab/BambuStudio — Bambu Lab's open-source slicer engine, profile inheritance architecture, and 3MF project format.