Catia V5 MCP Server

CATIA V5 MCP Server

Connect AI agents to Dassault Systemes CATIA V5 via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — works with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, VS Code, Codex and any MCP-compatible client.

The first open-source MCP server for CATIA V5. Drive parametric CAD modeling, measurement, drawing export and COM automation in natural language, from any AI agent that speaks MCP.

What it does

This MCP server exposes 98 tools that let an AI agent:

• Create and manage documents — new Part, Product (assembly), open, save, close
• 2D Sketching — lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, splines, points, constraints
• Part Design — Pad, Pocket, Shaft, Groove, Fillet, Chamfer, Hole, Shell, Draft, Thickness, Patterns (rectangular/circular/user), Mirror
• Generative Shape Design (GSD) — 3D wireframe (points, lines, planes, splines, circles), Multi-sections Surface (loft), Sweep, Extrude, Revolve, Fill, Blend, Offset, Join, Split, Trim, Symmetry, ThickSurface/CloseSurface to solids
• Assembly — add components, Fix/Coincidence/Offset/Angle constraints, move/rotate
• Measurement — distance, inertia, bounding box, parameters
• Knowledgeware — user parameters, formulas, design tables, relations
• Export — STEP, IGES, STL, 3DXML, VRML, screenshots
• View control — set standard views, fit all, capture screenshots
• Drafting — Drawing documents, generative views (axis- or face-driven), projection/section/detail views, 3D-driven dimensions, text and tables (experimental, field-contributed)
• Diagnostics — report the CATIA release and probe which automation APIs the installation exposes

Requirements

• Windows (COM automation is Windows-only)
• CATIA V5 installed and licensed (R2016+)
• Python 3.10+
• Any MCP client: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, VS Code (Copilot/MCP), Codex CLI, ChatGPT via an HTTP bridge, and others

Compatibility notes (field reports)

• V5R20 (2010): core workflow confirmed working end to end (document management, sketcher, Part Design pad creation, GSD geometrical sets, views, screenshots). An initial report of ShapeFactory.AddNewPad being missing turned out to be a stale pywin32 gen_py cache, not the release: clearing the cache restored the methods (see Troubleshooting). Measurement notes for R20: volume, area and parameters work directly; array-returning measures go through the SystemService.Evaluate detour (proven there for GetPlane; GetCOG and GetPoint use the same route and the same mm coordinate convention). The inertia matrix (Inertia object) and the vertex-sweep bounding box await live confirmation.
• V5-6 2020: full tool surface in active use by contributors.
• Working alongside the agent: a contributor reports dimensioning and testing by hand in the same CATIA session while an agent runs tools in the background, for a whole night, without conflicts. The automation layer is nearly invisible to the interactive user. The one thing to avoid is switching the active document while a tool call is in flight, since most tools resolve "the active document" at call time.

catia_measure_distance accepts tree names (Pad.1, Sketch.2) and indexed topology (Face.N / Edge.N from catia_list_faces / catia_list_edges). The topology path follows a V5R20 field diagnosis (selection Reference property instead of CreateReferenceFromObject, which rejects HSO topology) and awaits live confirmation on real CATIA; reports welcome.

Reports from other releases are welcome, open an issue with your CATIA version and the tool results (the catia_diagnose tool output is the ideal payload).

Quick Install (Recommended)

git clone https://github.com/daiemon12/catia-v5-mcp-server.git
cd catia-v5-mcp-server
bash setup.sh

The script handles everything: dependencies, Claude Desktop configuration, and verification. Using another MCP client? See the per-client setup below.

Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/daiemon12/catia-v5-mcp-server.git
cd catia-v5-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies

pip install -e .

Or manually:

pip install mcp pywin32

3. Connect your MCP client

The server speaks standard MCP over stdio, so it works with every MCP-compatible client. The command is always the same: python -m catia_mcp (or an absolute path to catia_mcp/server.py).

<details> <summary><b>Claude Desktop</b></summary>

Edit the config file:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "catia-v5": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "catia_mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary><b>Claude Code</b></summary>

claude mcp add catia-v5 python -- -m catia_mcp

</details> <details> <summary><b>Cursor</b></summary>

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json in your project):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "catia-v5": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "catia_mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary><b>Windsurf</b></summary>

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "catia-v5": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "catia_mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary><b>Cline</b></summary>

In VS Code: Cline icon > MCP Servers > Configure, then add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "catia-v5": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "catia_mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary><b>VS Code (GitHub Copilot / native MCP)</b></summary>

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "catia-v5": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "catia_mcp"]
    }
  }
}

</details> <details> <summary><b>Codex CLI (OpenAI)</b></summary>

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.catia-v5]
command = "python"
args = ["-m", "catia_mcp"]

</details> <details> <summary><b>ChatGPT (desktop / web)</b></summary>

ChatGPT only connects to remote MCP servers over HTTP, not to local stdio processes. Expose this server through a stdio-to-HTTP bridge such as mcp-proxy or supergateway on the CATIA machine, then add the resulting URL as a connector in ChatGPT's developer mode. A native HTTP transport is on the roadmap.

</details> <details> <summary><b>Other MCP hosts</b></summary>

Any client that launches stdio MCP servers works: configure a server named catia-v5 with command python and args ["-m", "catia_mcp"], run from a machine where CATIA V5 is installed.

</details>

Remote use: agent on a Mac or another machine

CATIA only runs on Windows, but the agent does not have to. Start the server in HTTP mode next to CATIA (local PC or cloud workstation) and connect from a Mac with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or Claude Desktop:

catia-mcp --new-token
set CATIA_MCP_TOKEN=<token>
catia-mcp --http --host 0.0.0.0

The server refuses to listen beyond localhost without a token, and should be reached through a private network such as Tailscale or an SSH tunnel, never the open internet. Full setup and client configurations: docs/remote-access.md.

Read-only mode

For evaluations, audits or data extraction, start the server with --read-only (or CATIA_MCP_READ_ONLY=1). Only inspection and measurement tools are exposed: documents can be opened and read, nothing can be created, modified, saved or exported. See SECURITY.md for the network behaviour, data flows and the hash-pinned dependency lock file.

4. Start CATIA V5

Make sure CATIA V5 is running before asking your agent to interact with it. The server will automatically connect to the running instance.

If CATIA V5 is not running, the server will attempt to launch it (requires CATIA to be registered as COM server: cnext.exe /regserver).

Usage Examples

Once configured, just talk to your AI agent:

Create a simple part

"Create a new CATIA part. Draw a 100x60mm rectangle centered at the origin on the XY plane, then extrude it 40mm."

Design a bracket

"Design a mounting bracket: start with a 120x80mm base plate, 5mm thick. Add 4 M6 mounting holes at the corners with 10mm edge distance. Then add two vertical ribs 30mm tall."

Parametric modification

"Show me all parameters of the active part. Then change the pad height to 60mm."

Export for manufacturing

"Export the current part to STEP format at C:/export/bracket.stp and take a screenshot of the isometric view."

Assembly

"Create a new assembly. Add the bracket from C:/parts/bracket.CATPart and the base from C:/parts/base.CATPart. Fix the base, then create a coincidence constraint between the two."

Architecture

catia-v5-mcp-server/
├── catia_mcp/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── __main__.py          # python -m catia_mcp entry point
│   ├── server.py            # MCP Server — tool registration & routing
│   ├── connection.py        # COM connection manager (win32com)
│   ├── http_transport.py    # Optional remote access (Streamable HTTP + token)
│   └── tools/
│       ├── __init__.py
│       ├── document.py      # Document management (9 tools)
│       ├── sketcher.py      # 2D Sketch tools (11 tools)
│       ├── part_design.py   # 3D Part Design features (18 tools)
│       ├── gsd.py           # Generative Shape Design — wireframe & surfaces (24 tools)
│       ├── assembly.py      # Assembly/Product tools (9 tools)
│       ├── measurement.py   # Measurement & analysis (6 tools)
│       ├── drawing.py       # Drafting: drawings, views, dimensions, text & tables (11 tools)
│       ├── knowledge.py     # Knowledgeware: parameters, formulas, design tables (5 tools)
│       ├── diagnostics.py   # Installation diagnostics (1 tool)
│       └── export.py        # Export & view control (4 tools)
├── pyproject.toml
├── requirements.txt
└── README.md

How it works

AI agent (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, ...)
    │
    │ stdio (MCP JSON-RPC)
    ▼
catia_mcp/server.py (MCP Server)
    │
    │ Tool routing
    ▼
catia_mcp/tools/*.py (Tool modules)
    │
    │ win32com.client (COM Automation)
    ▼
CATIA V5 Application

1. The MCP client sends tool calls over stdio
2. The server routes each call to the appropriate tool module
3. Each tool module uses win32com.client to drive CATIA V5 via COM
4. Results (JSON, text) are returned to the agent

Tool Reference

Document Tools (9)

Tool	Description
catia_connect	Connect to CATIA V5
catia_disconnect	Disconnect from CATIA V5
catia_new_part	Create a new Part document
catia_new_product	Create a new Product (assembly)
catia_open_document	Open an existing document
catia_save_document	Save / Save As
catia_close_document	Close active document
catia_list_documents	List all open documents
catia_get_active_document_info	Get detailed info about active document

Sketcher Tools (11)

Tool	Description
catia_create_sketch	Create sketch on XY/YZ/ZX plane
catia_close_sketch	Close sketch, return to Part Design
catia_sketch_line	Draw a line
catia_sketch_rectangle	Draw a rectangle (2 corners)
catia_sketch_centered_rectangle	Draw a centered rectangle
catia_sketch_circle	Draw a circle
catia_sketch_arc	Draw an arc
catia_sketch_spline	Draw a spline through points
catia_sketch_point	Create a point
catia_sketch_constraint	Add dimensional/geometric constraint
catia_sketch_get_geometry	List sketch geometry elements

Part Design Tools (18)

Tool	Description
catia_pad	Pad (extrusion)
catia_pocket	Pocket (cut extrusion)
catia_shaft	Shaft (revolution)
catia_groove	Groove (revolution cut)
catia_fillet	Fillet (edge rounding)
catia_chamfer	Chamfer (edge bevel)
catia_hole	Hole (simple, counterbored, countersunk)
catia_rect_pattern	Rectangular pattern
catia_circ_pattern	Circular pattern around a chosen axis and center
catia_user_pattern	User pattern: copies placed on the points of a sketch
catia_mirror	Mirror about a plane
catia_shell	Shell (hollow out)
catia_draft	Draft angle
catia_thickness	Thickness offset
catia_list_features	List features in body
catia_delete_feature	Delete a feature by name
catia_list_edges	List edges of the final solid as indexed Edge.N names
catia_list_faces	List faces of the final solid as indexed Face.N names

Generative Shape Design Tools (24)

Tool	Description
catia_gsd_create_geoset	Create a Geometrical Set and make it active
catia_gsd_set_active_geoset	Select the target Geometrical Set
catia_gsd_list_elements	List geosets, wireframe/surface elements, sketches
catia_gsd_point	3D point at (x, y, z)
catia_gsd_line	3D line between two points
catia_gsd_plane_offset	Plane offset from a reference plane
catia_gsd_plane_3points	Plane through three points
catia_gsd_spline	3D spline through points
catia_gsd_circle	3D circle on a support plane
catia_gsd_project	Project a curve/point onto a support
catia_gsd_intersection	Intersection of two elements
catia_gsd_multi_section_surface	Multi-sections Surface (loft) through sections + guides
catia_gsd_sweep	Swept surface (profile along guide)
catia_gsd_extrude	Extruded surface along a direction
catia_gsd_revolve	Surface of revolution around an axis
catia_gsd_fill	Fill surface from boundary curves
catia_gsd_blend	Blend surface between two curves
catia_gsd_offset_surface	Offset surface
catia_gsd_join	Join curves/surfaces into one element
catia_gsd_split	Split an element by a cutter
catia_gsd_trim	Mutual trim of two elements
catia_gsd_symmetry	Mirror an element about a plane
catia_gsd_thick_surface	Surface → solid by thickness (Part Design)
catia_gsd_close_surface	Closed surface → solid (Part Design)

Assembly Tools (9)

Tool	Description
catia_add_component	Add existing part to assembly
catia_add_new_part	Create new part in assembly
catia_fix_constraint	Fix a component in place
catia_coincidence_constraint	Coincidence constraint
catia_offset_constraint	Offset constraint
catia_angle_constraint	Angle constraint
catia_move_component	Move/rotate a component
catia_list_components	List assembly components
catia_list_constraints	List assembly constraints

Measurement Tools (6)

Tool	Description
catia_measure_distance	Measure distance between elements
catia_get_inertia	Volume, area, mass, center of gravity
catia_get_bounding_box	Bounding box from a vertex sweep of the final shape
catia_get_parameters	List all parameters
catia_set_parameter	Modify a parameter value
catia_update_part	Force rebuild

Export Tools (4)

Tool	Description
catia_export	Export to STEP/IGES/STL/3DXML/VRML
catia_screenshot	Capture 3D view to image
catia_set_view	Set view orientation
catia_fit_all	Fit all in view

Drafting Tools (11) — experimental

Tool	Description
catia_new_drawing	Create a Drawing document (CATDrawing)
catia_drawing_add_view	Add a generative view of a part or a single body: xy/yz/zx projection, or face-driven (projected on a chosen planar face), with in-plane rotation
catia_drawing_projection_view	Right/left/top/bottom/rear projection of an existing view
catia_drawing_section_view	Section view or section cut along a polyline profile
catia_drawing_detail_view	Circular detail view of a region
catia_drawing_add_text	Text annotation in a view (Background View for title blocks)
catia_drawing_add_table	Table with optional cell contents (title blocks, revision tables, BOM)
catia_drawing_generate_dimensions	Generate associative dimensions from the part's 3D sketch constraints (the only route to dimension generated geometry in V5)
catia_drawing_list_dimensions	List a view's dimensions with values and status
catia_drawing_list_view_geometry	List a view's manually drawn 2D geometry (generated curves are not exposed by CATIA)
catia_drawing_add_dimension	Add a dimension between manually drawn 2D elements

Knowledgeware Tools (5)

Tool	Description
catia_create_parameter	Create or set a user parameter (length, angle, real, integer, string, boolean)
catia_set_formula	Create or update a formula driving a parameter
catia_list_relations	List formulas, design tables, rules and checks
catia_delete_relation	Delete a relation by name
catia_create_design_table	Create a design table from a sheet and associate parameters

Diagnostics (1)

Tool	Description
catia_diagnose	Report CATIA version/release/SP and probe which automation APIs this installation exposes. Run it first when tools fail with UNSUPPORTED_CAPABILITY, and paste its output in compatibility reports

Troubleshooting

Structured tool errors and cancellation

Errors returned by the server boundary for all 98 tools now set MCP isError=true and include structuredContent with ok=false, code, message, operation_id, tool, data, effects, diagnostics, warnings and recovery. The text content contains the same JSON. Clients should inspect isError and the error code rather than matching a plain-text error phrase. Successful text responses and input schemas remain unchanged.

An ordinary exception, including ValueError, does not block the next call. Cancelling a request does not cancel its COM operation: the STA worker finishes that operation before running queued calls. Cancellation does not prove rollback. A modal dialog can still block the worker; resolve it in CATIA before continuing. See runtime behavior and recovery.

"AttributeError" on methods that should exist (AddNewPad, etc.)

A stale pywin32 COM cache is the most common cause, confirmed in the field: methods that genuinely exist stop resolving. Delete the generated bindings cache and restart the server:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\gen_py\        (or %TEMP%\gen_py\)

Close CATIA and the MCP server first, delete the whole gen_py folder, then restart. Run catia_diagnose to verify which APIs resolve afterwards.

"pywin32 is not installed"

pip install pywin32

This server requires Windows. It will not work on macOS or Linux.

"Failed to connect to CATIA V5"

1. Make sure CATIA V5 is running
2. Register CATIA as COM server: navigate to C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B<version>\<os>\code\bin\ and run cnext.exe /regserver
3. Check that no modal dialog is blocking CATIA

"No active document"

Create or open a document first using catia_new_part or catia_open_document.

COM ByRef array limitations

Some measurement methods may not work with late binding. If you encounter issues, try using pycatia as an alternative backend (contribution welcome).

Contributing

This project is open-source. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines. Contributions welcome:

• Drafting extras: frames and title-block generators, BOM automation
• pycatia backend as alternative to raw win32com
• Tests with COM mocking
• 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA support

Services and support

The server is free and MIT licensed. If your company runs CATIA V5 and wants to go further, the maintainer is available for paid work:

• Custom tools: new MCP tools for your workflows (drawing frames and title blocks, BOM automation, Knowledgeware templates, batch exports).
• Macro modernization: turning legacy VBA/CATScript macros into agent-callable tools, or auditing them before migration.
• Pilot and training: a one-day workshop on agent-driven CATIA automation, followed by a pilot on one of your real parts.
• Priority support: a dedicated channel and response times for teams running the server in production.

Contact: open a discussion on GitHub, join the Discord, or reach the maintainer on LinkedIn. Sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors keeps the free version maintained.

License

MIT

Credits

Inspired by:

• SolidWorks-MCP
• freecad-mcp
• abaqus-mcp-server
• pycatia