SketchupMCP - Sketchup Model Context Protocol Integration

SketchupMCP connects Sketchup to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to directly interact with and control Sketchup. This integration enables prompt-assisted 3D modeling, scene creation, and manipulation in Sketchup.

Big Shoutout to Blender MCP for the inspiration and structure.

Features

• Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to Sketchup through a TCP socket connection

• Component manipulation: Create, modify, delete, and transform components in Sketchup

• Material control: Apply and modify materials and colors

• Scene inspection: Get detailed information about the current Sketchup scene

• Selection handling: Get and manipulate selected components

• Ruby code evaluation: Execute arbitrary Ruby code directly in SketchUp for advanced operations

Related MCP server: SketchupMCP

Components

The system consists of two main components:

1. Sketchup Extension: A Sketchup extension that creates a TCP server within Sketchup to receive and execute commands

2. MCP Server (sketchup_mcp/server.py): A Python server that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to the Sketchup extension

Installation

Python Packaging

We're using uv so you'll need to brew install uv

Sketchup Extension

1. Download or build the latest .rbz file

2. In Sketchup, go to Window > Extension Manager

3. Click "Install Extension" and select the downloaded .rbz file

4. Restart Sketchup

Usage

Starting the Connection

1. In Sketchup, go to Extensions > SketchupMCP > Start Server

2. The server will start on the default port (9876)

3. Make sure the MCP server is running in your terminal

Using with Claude

Configure Claude to use the MCP server by adding the following to your Claude configuration:

    "mcpServers": {
        "sketchup": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "sketchup-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }

This will pull the latest from PyPI

Once connected, Claude can interact with Sketchup using the following capabilities:

Tools

• get_scene_info - Gets information about the current Sketchup scene

• get_selected_components - Gets information about currently selected components

• create_component - Create a new component with specified parameters

• delete_component - Remove a component from the scene

• transform_component - Move, rotate, or scale a component

• set_material - Apply materials to components

• export_scene - Export the current scene to various formats

• eval_ruby - Execute arbitrary Ruby code in SketchUp for advanced operations

Example Commands

Here are some examples of what you can ask Claude to do:

• "Create a simple house model with a roof and windows"

• "Select all components and get their information"

• "Make the selected component red"

• "Move the selected component 10 units up"

• "Export the current scene as a 3D model"

• "Create a complex arts and crafts cabinet using Ruby code"

Troubleshooting

• Connection issues: Make sure both the Sketchup extension server and the MCP server are running

• Command failures: Check the Ruby Console in Sketchup for error messages

• Timeout errors: Try simplifying your requests or breaking them into smaller steps

Technical Details

Communication Protocol

The system uses a simple JSON-based protocol over TCP sockets:

• Commands are sent as JSON objects with a type and optional params

• Responses are JSON objects with a status and result or message

Development

Running from source

Point your MCP client at the checkout instead of PyPI:

    "mcpServers": {
        "sketchup": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": ["--directory", "/path/to/sketchup-mcp", "run", "python", "-m", "sketchup_mcp"]
        }
    }

Install the extension by copying su_mcp/su_mcp.rb and su_mcp/su_mcp/ into your SketchUp/Plugins folder. The server starts on load; the Extensions > MCP Server menu can stop and restart it.

SKETCHUP_MCP_TIMEOUT (seconds, default 60) caps how long the client waits for a reply, for models heavy enough to need more.

Tests

ruby test/socket_test.rb

This exercises the extension's socket layer with Sketchup stubbed out and the timer driven by hand, which makes the awkward cases cheap to check: a client that connects and says nothing, a peer that disappears mid-reply, ten clients at once, and a large reply that must not be dumped into the Ruby Console. Those first and last cases each froze Sketchup at some point, so they are worth keeping honest.

Point it at a different file to compare implementations:

MAIN_RB=/path/to/other/main.rb ruby test/socket_test.rb

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT