Revit vs Codesign

A side-by-side look at the Revit and Codesign MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Revit logoRevitArchitecture & Design · Remote HTTP/SSERevit model query + APS Design Automation runner.51GoodAuth: not declaredCodesign logoCodesignArchitecture & Design · Local subprocess (stdio)A real design engine for your AI agent: generate designs and print-ready PDFs, over MCP.49FairAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose Revit for architecture & design work over a hosted endpoint; choose Codesign for architecture & design as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Revit logoChoose Revit when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
  • You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
  • You have the keys it needs: SCANBIM_USER_KEY.
  • You want tools like revit_upload, revit_get_elements, revit_get_parameters.
Explore Revit

Codesign logoChoose Codesign when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
Explore Codesign

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecRevit logoRevitCodesign logoCodesign
CategoryArchitecture & DesignArchitecture & Design
Quality signal51/100 · Good49/100 · Fair
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportRemote HTTP/SSELocal subprocess (stdio)
AuthNot declaredNot declared
PricingNot declaredFree
Required env varsSCANBIM_USER_KEYNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars042
Directory activity 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools8Not listed

Tools & capabilities

Revit tools 8

  • revit_uploadWhen to use: Ingest a Revit (.rvt / .rfa / .rte / .rft) file into Autodesk Platform Services by downloading it from a publicly reachable URL, uploading it to an OSS bucket, and starting an SVF2 translation so downstream revit_* tools can read elements, parameters, sheets, and views. When NOT to use: Do not call if you already have a translated URN (use the existing model_id instead), if the file is not a Revit source file, or if the URL requires authentication the worker cannot satisfy. APS scopes: data:read data:write data:create bucket:read bucket:create viewables:read (OSS bucket create + object PUT + Model Derivative job). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh credentials and retry. 403 scope insufficient — request data:write + bucket:create. 404 bucket/object not found — confirm bucket was created. 409 bucket exists — safe to ignore, reuse it. 429 rate limited — back off with exponential delay. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter up to 3x, then surface. Side effects: Creates a new transient OSS bucket named scanbim-revit-<timestamp>, uploads the object, and starts a Model Derivative translation job. NOT idempotent — each call creates a fresh bucket and new URN.
  • revit_get_elementsWhen to use: After a Revit model has finished translating, fetch the first ~100 elements belonging to a Revit category (e.g. Walls, Doors, Windows, Structural Columns) with their objectid, name, externalId, and property bag. When NOT to use: Do not call before translation completes (manifest.status must be success), and do not use for free-text searches across the whole model — filter by category here or use revit_run_schedule for tabular views. APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + properties). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — confirm model_id and that translation has run. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only. Idempotent.
  • revit_get_parametersWhen to use: Enumerate the Revit parameters (type + instance) that appear on elements in a given category, or on one specific element by objectid. Returns unique values per parameter and how many elements carry it — ideal for schema discovery before building a schedule. When NOT to use: Do not use when you just need the elements themselves (use revit_get_elements), or to modify values — this is read-only. APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + properties). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — verify model_id. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only. Idempotent.
  • revit_run_scheduleWhen to use: Build a tabular, spreadsheet-style schedule (rows = elements matching a keyword, columns = up to 15 shared parameters) from a translated Revit model — useful for Door Schedules, Wall Schedules, Room Schedules, and QA/QC exports. When NOT to use: Do not use when you only need raw element metadata (use revit_get_elements) or parameter schema (use revit_get_parameters). APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + properties). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — check model_id. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only. Idempotent.
  • revit_clash_detectWhen to use: Perform a lightweight clash analysis between two Revit categories (e.g. Mechanical Equipment vs Structural Framing) using bounding-box overlap where available, falling back to shared-Level proximity, then annotate with any matching VDC rules stored in the D1 database. When NOT to use: Do not use as a substitute for Navisworks Manage for contractual clash reports — this is a first-pass coordination sniff test, not a certified Clash Detective run. APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + properties). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — verify model_id. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only against APS. May read from D1 vdc_rules table if present. Idempotent.
  • revit_export_ifcWhen to use: Kick off a Model Derivative translation of a previously uploaded Revit URN into IFC (IFC2x3 Coordination View 2.0 by default) so the model can be exchanged with non-Autodesk tools (Solibri, BIMcollab, Tekla, openBIM workflows). When NOT to use: Do not use for SVF/SVF2 web viewing (that happens automatically in revit_upload), and do not call repeatedly while a prior IFC job is still inprogress — poll the manifest instead. APS scopes: data:read data:write viewables:read (Model Derivative job + manifest). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add data:write. 404 URN not found — confirm model_id was translated. 409 not applicable. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter up to 3x. Side effects: Creates a Model Derivative job and, on completion, a new IFC derivative inside the model's manifest. Safe to re-run (APS deduplicates) but each call with x-ads-force may retranslate.
  • revit_get_sheetsWhen to use: Enumerate the drawing sheets (title blocks with sheet number + sheet name like 'A-101: First Floor Plan') published from a translated Revit model, so an agent can pick which sheet to render, review, or cross-reference. When NOT to use: Do not use to list model views like floor plans or 3D views (use revit_get_views) — this returns only 2D sheet entries. APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + object tree). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — check model_id. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only. Idempotent.
  • revit_get_viewsWhen to use: Return every view (both 2D — floor plans, ceiling plans, elevations, sections, sheets — and 3D — default {3D}, perspective views, isometric views) in the translated Revit model, including each view's GUID, name, role, and whether it is the master view. When NOT to use: Do not use when you only want drawing sheets (use revit_get_sheets) or element data inside a view (use revit_get_elements / revit_run_schedule). APS scopes: data:read viewables:read (Model Derivative metadata + object tree). Rate limits: APS default ~50 req/min per app per endpoint; Model Derivative translation jobs ~60 req/min; OSS uploads size-limited per file to 100MB for direct upload, larger via resumable. Errors: 401 APS token expired — refresh. 403 scope insufficient — add viewables:read. 404 URN not found — check model_id. 429 rate limited — back off. 5xx APS upstream — retry with jitter. Side effects: Read-only. Idempotent.

Codesign tools

No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.

Ready-to-paste client configs

Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.

Revit

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "revit": {
      "url": "https://revit-mcp.itmartin24.workers.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Codesign

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codesign": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@imgly/codesign-mcp@0.5.1"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Revit is categorized under Architecture & Design and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Codesign belongs to Architecture & Design and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Revit for architecture & design work and Codesign for architecture & design.

Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.

Revit has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Codesign is listed as free. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add revit and codesign as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Revit has a quality signal of 51/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Codesign has 49/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 42 GitHub stars.