# print-advisor-mcp

MCP server that answers the questions people actually ask before 3D printing
anything: **what will it cost, how long will it take, which material, and does
it fit on the bed?**

No file upload. No API key. No account. It works from dimensions given in plain
text, which means an assistant can answer mid-conversation without the user
having to produce an STL first.

## Install

Nothing to install up front — `uvx` fetches and builds it on first run.

**Claude Desktop / Claude Code** (`claude_desktop_config.json`):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "print-advisor": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "git+https://github.com/vandurmedries/print-advisor-mcp",
        "print-advisor-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

**Cursor, Windsurf, Zed** — same command, in their MCP config.

Try it without configuring anything:

```bash
uvx --from git+https://github.com/vandurmedries/print-advisor-mcp print-advisor-mcp
```

Requires [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) (`brew install uv`) and Python 3.10+.

## Tools

### `print_estimate`

Material weight, filament length, cost and print time from dimensions or a known
volume. Uses a shell-and-core model that accounts for wall thickness and infill,
so the numbers are realistic instead of "solid block" estimates.

> A 50 × 30 × 20 mm part in PLA at 20% infill
> → 11.5 cm³ · 14 g · 4.8 m of filament · €0.29 · about 1 h 11 m

Parameters: `breedte_mm`, `diepte_mm`, `hoogte_mm` (or `volume_cm3`),
`materiaal`, `infill_procent`, `wanddikte_mm`, `laaghoogte_mm`.

### `material_guide`

Which filament for which job — outdoor, heat resistant, flexible, strong, wear
resistant, food contact, cheap, easy. Returns the recommendation with density,
price per kilo, nozzle and bed temperatures, and the practical trade-offs.

Covers PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, Nylon, PC and PLA-CF.

### `fits_on_printer`

Whether a part fits the build volume, including whether rotating it 90° or
placing it diagonally saves it.

Covers Bambu Lab (A1, A1 mini, A2L, P1P, P1S, P2S, X1C, H2D), Prusa (MK4, Mini,
XL), Creality (Ender 3, Ender 5, K1), Voron 2.4 and Elegoo Neptune 4.

## Accuracy

The arithmetic is exact where it can be:

- weight = volume × material density
- filament length = volume ÷ cross-section of 1.75 mm filament (2.405 mm²)
- cost = weight × price per kilo

Only print time is a heuristic (roughly 11 cm³/hour at 0.2 mm layer height,
scaled by layer height). Supports, brims and complex geometry typically add
10–30%. Filament prices are 2026 European retail indications — override them for
your own supplier if you care about precision.

This is an estimator, not a slicer. For a committed quote, slice the actual file.

## Why no file upload

Every other 3D tool wants an STL first. That is a wall in a conversation: the
user has a question, not a file. This one answers from the numbers already in
the question, which is what makes it usable by an assistant that is helping with
something else.

## Licence

MIT