MCP server for TouchDesigner - Control and operate TouchDesigner projects through AI agents
TouchDesigner MCP server for controlling and operating TouchDesigner projects through AI agents. It implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) so external agents can interact with and manage TouchDesigner workflows via a standardized interface.
🛠️ Key Features
MCP server implementation for TouchDesigner projects
Enables AI agents to control and operate TouchDesigner workflows
Lightweight npm-based server with clear integration points
Topics: mcp, mcp-server, touchdesigner
Readme excerpt indicates multilingual support (English and Japanese)
🚀 Use Cases
Remote AI-driven control of TouchDesigner projects
Programmatic manipulation of scenes, operators, and parameters
Integration into AI tooling pipelines for media, interactive installations, or generative art
⚡ Developer Benefits
Clear MCP-based protocol for external agents
Focused server tailored to TouchDesigner environments
readily discoverable via npm and GitHub-style metadata
⚠️ Limitations
Description limited to provided readme excerpt; broader capabilities may require examining the repository
Language and documentation availability may vary by language
This is an implementation of an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for TouchDesigner. Its goal is to enable AI agents to control and operate TouchDesigner projects.
If you are updating, please refer to the procedure in the Latest Release.
MCP Server Features
This server enables AI agents to perform operations in TouchDesigner using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Tools
Tools allow AI agents to perform actions in TouchDesigner.
Tool Name
Description
create_td_node
Creates a new node.
delete_td_node
Deletes an existing node.
describe_td_tools
Generates a manifest of the available TouchDesigner tools.
exec_node_method
Calls a Python method on a node.
execute_python_script
Executes an arbitrary Python script in TouchDesigner.
get_td_class_details
Gets details of a TouchDesigner Python class or module.
get_td_classes
Gets a list of TouchDesigner Python classes.
get_td_info
Gets information about the TouchDesigner server environment.
get_td_module_help
Gets Python help() documentation for TouchDesigner modules/classes.
get_td_node_errors
Checks for errors on a specified node and its children.
get_td_node_parameters
Gets the parameters of a specific node.
get_td_nodes
Gets nodes under a parent path, with optional filtering.
get_top_image
Captures the current output of a TOP node as an image.
update_td_node_parameters
Updates the parameters of a specific node.
Prompts
Prompts provide instructions for AI agents to perform specific actions in TouchDesigner.
Prompt Name
Description
Search node
Fuzzy searches for nodes and retrieves information based on name, family, or type.
Node connection
Provides instructions to connect nodes within TouchDesigner.
Check node errors
Checks for errors on a specified node, and recursively for its children.
Resources
Not implemented.
Developer Guide
Looking for local setup, client configuration, project structure, or release workflow notes?
See the Developer Guide for all developer-facing documentation.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting version compatibility
The MCP server and the TouchDesigner component are versioned on two independent axes: the npm package version and the API version (the contract between the MCP server and the .tox component). Each release declares the API version it ships with (expectedApiVersion) and the minimum it supports (minApiVersion, currently 1.3.0). The connected component's API version is compared against those two values — the npm package version itself never gates compatibility, so updating the MCP server alone never invalidates a supported component.
API Server (component)
Condition
Behavior
Status
= expected API version
Matches the shipped .tox
✅ Works silently
Compatible
≥ minimum, < expected
Older component
⚠️ "Update Recommended" notice appended to responses, continues
Delete the existing touchdesigner-mcp-td folder and replace it with the newly extracted contents.
Remove the old mcp_webserver_base component from your TouchDesigner project and import the .tox from the new folder.
Restart TouchDesigner and the AI agent running the MCP server (e.g., Claude Desktop).
For developers: When developing locally, run npm run version after editing package.json (or simply use npm version ...). This keeps the Python API (pyproject.toml + td/modules/utils/version.py), mcpCompatibility.expectedApiVersion, MCP bundle manifest, and registry metadata in sync so that the runtime compatibility check succeeds.
TouchDesignerClient caches failed connection checks for 60 seconds. Subsequent tool calls reuse the cached error to avoid spamming TouchDesigner and automatically retry after the TTL expires.
When the MCP server cannot reach TouchDesigner, you now get guided error messages with concrete fixes:
ECONNREFUSED / "connect refused": start TouchDesigner, ensure the WebServer DAT from mcp_webserver_base.tox is running, and confirm the configured port (default 9981).
ETIMEDOUT / "timeout": TouchDesigner is responding slowly or the network is blocked. Restart TouchDesigner/WebServer DAT or check your network connection.
ENOTFOUND / getaddrinfo: the host name is invalid. Use 127.0.0.1 unless you explicitly changed it.
The structured error text is also logged through ILogger, so you can check the MCP logs to understand why a request stopped before hitting TouchDesigner.
Once the underlying issue is fixed, simply run the tool again—the client clears the cached error and re-verifies the connection automatically.
Contributing
We welcome your contributions!
Fork the repository.
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature).
Make your changes.
Add tests and ensure everything works (npm test).
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature').
Push to your branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature).
Open a pull request.
Please always include appropriate tests when making implementation changes.
