Power your agent
The publisher's own URL. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.
Host a copy with our keys and logs.
https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcpThe Claude button above opens Claude with the name and URL filled in. You still confirm it there.
claude mcp add --transport http com.kernelcad-kernelcad https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcpRun in a terminal.
{ "mcpServers": { "com.kernelcad-kernelcad": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcp" ] } }}claude_desktop_config.json
Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ
Run on PlugMCP
A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.
LaunchFrom the publisher
Source scope: this repository contains the reusable CAD runtime, CLI, MCP tools and headless renderer. Hosted product UI and commercial manufacturing services are maintained separately. Build the reusable tools with
npm run build; usenpm run devfor the standalone renderer.
kernelCAD turns mechanical intent into editable source, deterministic review evidence, and exportable manufacturing artifacts.
CAD in ChatGPT and Claude: editable parts, STEP/STL/drawings, in-chat 3D, automatic checks.
.kcad.tsThe core loop is source-first: design brief -> editable .kcad.ts ->
evaluated model -> deterministic validation -> guided revision -> export package.
kernelCAD is not trying to be a browser clone of Fusion, Onshape, or SolidWorks. Replicad/OpenCASCADE are the kernel layer. kernelCAD is the agent-first workflow layer above the kernel: deterministic CAD source, feature history, diagnostics, validation, variants, and human review.
kernelCAD runs as a connected app in ChatGPT (Apps SDK, with the Studio viewer and paint review inside the chat) and in Claude / claude.ai (custom connector). Add it from the chat settings and sign in:
https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcpOne account everywhere. The coding-agent plugins below use the same hosted
server (https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcp) and the same kernelCAD sign-in. A model
saved from Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini or Grok opens at the same Studio
share link (/p/<slug>) you see in ChatGPT or Claude. Sign in with the same
account in each client.
Ask your agent: “look at kernelcad.com and install the mcp”. Agent-readable installation instructions cover hosted setup, local npm setup, and connection verification.
One command connects your agent to the hosted kernelCAD MCP server
(https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcp) and adds the kernelCAD skills. Nothing runs
locally and no OpenCASCADE install is needed. Anonymous use works; sign in
through your client's OAuth prompt for account features.
Inside Claude Code you can also type /plugin marketplace add w1ne/kernelCAD-web
then /plugin install kernelcad@kernelcad. Restart the app after installing.
Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Windsurf, Cline, Zed, Continue, update, uninstall and the Cursor skills install are in
docs/usage/agent-plugin-install.md.
Each model below started from the plain-language prompt shown. An AI agent wrote it through kernelCAD's own authoring loop (CLI / MCP): it wrote .kcad.ts source, ran evaluate, rendered the seven-view inspection sheet, read the renders, fixed what was wrong, and repeated. None of these is a one-shot generation. Each folder in showcase/ holds the parametric source, the turntable GIF (kernelcad animate --turntable, publish look), and a short note on what to look at and which checks were run.
Some checks go past the picture:
evaluate_script → mechanism: "real") turns each mechanism through its limits with the couplings applied and looks for overlapping teeth. kernelcad validate --include-interference reports both assemblies clean.kernelcad dfm passes it (thinnest wall 2.0 mm, no unsupported overhang), and kernelcad export step writes a B-rep whose holes read back with kernelcad inspect step..kcad.ts, CLI, and MCP. The UI reviews and steers generated designs.The headless OCCT gate checks 27 native .kcad.ts reference parts against
analytic or recorded OCCT volume, surface-area, and bounding-box values. The
current headline is 25/27 reference parts match; the expected-pass gate is
25/25, with two documented known failures and their reasons listed in the
scorecard. See the
reference-parts scorecard and its
local validation demo.
For agents and contributors, .kcad.ts source is the design source of truth.
Rendered PNG/MP4 files, STEP/STL exports, score JSON, and capture-run metadata
are generated evidence or deliverables. Prompt briefs, source files, and
provenance metadata remain source. Change source first, regenerate explicit
targets, and avoid broad artifact refreshes unless you are intentionally
rebuilding a demo or release bundle.
Use deterministic checks before visual judgment:
kernelcad evaluate model.kcad.ts
# then run review_cad from an MCP client connected through `kernelcad mcp`
kernelcad export step model.kcad.ts -o model.step
kernelcad export stl model.kcad.ts -o model.stl
When a rendered artifact is produced, inspect the image/video itself and report what is visible: proportions, interfaces, floating geometry, occlusion, camera framing, and whether required features are legible. Passing tests are not a substitute for visual evidence.
When visual evidence matters, keep a deterministic inspection bundle:
kernelcad render inspect model.kcad.ts model.inspect
The v1 bundle writes a manifest and canonical RGB views. It can also emit
machine-readable mask, depth, and normals channels:
kernelcad render inspect model.kcad.ts model.inspect --channels rgb,mask,depth,normals
Use --focus <names> or --hide <names> when a specific feature id or
assembly part needs isolated review. Keep richer channels in the same manifest
packet; do not replace the canonical RGB views.
For real hardware, prefer catalog/vendor geometry via lib.fromSTEP(...)
instead of fake placeholder boxes or cylinders. This keeps mounts, clearances,
and mechanism checks tied to physical components.
npm install -g kernelcad
Drop this in bracket.kcad.ts:
const w = param('Width', 60, { unit: 'mm' });
const h = param('Height', 40, { unit: 'mm' });
const t = param('Thickness', 5, { unit: 'mm' });
const base = box(w, h, t);
const hole = cylinder(t + 2, 4).translate(w / 2, h / 2, -1);
return base.subtract(hole).fillet(1);
Run it:
kernelcad evaluate bracket.kcad.ts
kernelcad export stl bracket.kcad.ts -o bracket.stl
That's it. For agents: kernelcad mcp runs an MCP server with dynamic model
introspection tools. Object tool responses include structuredContent alongside
the serialized JSON text so MCP clients can validate advertised output schemas.
See SKILL.md (bundled with the install) for the full API
surface and authoring guide.
kernelCAD runs as an MCP server, so Claude Desktop can drive it locally. After
npm install -g kernelcad, add an entry to your Claude Desktop config file:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json{
"mcpServers": {
"kernelcad": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "kernelcad", "mcp"]
}
}
}
Restart Claude Desktop. The kernelCAD MCP tools (review_cad, model
introspection, export helpers, etc.) appear in the tools list.
The first full local evaluate_script build returns viewerUrl. Open it in
Studio once: later full builds and source-edit tool calls replace the source,
history, and geometry behind that same session link. The viewer is served on
127.0.0.1 by the MCP process and lasts until that process closes; it is not a
public share link. Dry runs leave it unchanged. A build failure keeps the last
built model visible; a successfully built model with DFM failures remains
viewable. Build diagnostics shown there are not a full CAD/physics review.
Published packages include the Studio bundle. When running MCP from a checkout,
run npm run build:mcp-viewer first. If the bundle cannot be served, the build
result includes viewerError separately from its CAD diagnostics. Hosted MCP
and --cloud continue to use the gateway's Studio/project URLs.
For hosted workflows, sign in at the existing connection guide. It gives the current connector and OAuth steps for your client. The hosted tool set depends on authentication, your selected profile, and server-native tools; use the connected server's discovery rather than assuming the local list.
The local installer is available. Preview the config change before applying it:
npx -y kernelcad install --claude-desktop --dry-run
npx -y kernelcad install --claude-desktop
Other hosted setup guides: ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok Build, Cursor, and VS Code.
Browse the generated local MCP tool reference for complete input/output schemas and behavior annotations, or search the design guide for existing recipes and cited, dated manufacturing catalog snapshots.
For local Studio, get_selection and set_selection
share face/edge picks with your MCP agent. Open the same script in Studio and
use its session token; picks expire on model rebuild.
For opt-in kernel selection and fallback diagnostics, see the experimental guarded SMLib kernel guide and its workflow demo bundle.
Web app + dev workflow (clone the repo, npm install, npm run dev) for contributors who want to hack on the kernel or the visual debugger:
git clone https://github.com/w1ne/kernelCAD-web.git
cd kernelCAD-web
npm install
npm run dev # web visual debugger at localhost:5173
npm run build:cli # build the CLI bundle into dist/cli/
npm run test # full vitest suite
npm run qc # quick quality gate (lint + typecheck + tests)
Exported files name kernelCAD in their metadata field (STEP FILE_NAME, GLB
asset.generator, the STL header, a DXF or XML comment), and public viewer
pages show a small "Made with kernelCAD" link. Self-hosters and forks change
this in src/shared/links/attribution.ts. See ATTRIBUTION.md.
MIT — see LICENSE. The kernelCAD name is covered by the trademark policy.
© 2026 MCP Directory.
CAD in ChatGPT and Claude: editable parts, STEP/STL/drawings, in-chat 3D, automatic checks.
{ "mcpServers": { "com.kernelcad-kernelcad": { "url": "https://mcp.kernelcad.com/mcp", "headers": {} } }}Tools
No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.
FAQ
Copy the http config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.
No required environment variable is listed on this record.
KernelCAD is reached over HTTP.
Last checked 2026-11-08. CAD in ChatGPT and Claude: editable parts, STEP/STL/drawings, in-chat 3D, automatic checks.