TouchDesigner MCP

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.

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Overview

TouchDesigner MCP acts as a bridge between AI models and the TouchDesigner WebServer DAT, enabling AI agents to:

• Create, modify, and delete nodes
• Query node properties and project structure
• Programmatically control TouchDesigner via Python scripts

Installation

Tell the AI agent you already use:

Set up https://github.com/8beeeaaat/touchdesigner-mcp

That's it. The full procedure lives in the Installation Guide — it opens with a table matching each AI app to its route, and everyone starts from TouchDesigner Setup. Or follow it yourself, step by step.

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 errors and warnings on a node and its descendants. Missing files, dangling references and shader failures are warnings, so no errors does not mean healthy.
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 errors and warnings on a specified node, and recursively for its descendants.

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	Warning
> expected, same MAJOR	Newer component	⚠️ Warning to update the MCP server, continues	Warning
MAJOR above expected	Newer API generation	❌ Execution stops — update the MCP server	Error
< minimum (or missing)	Too old	❌ Execution stops — update the component	Error

• To resolve compatibility errors:

  1. Download the latest touchdesigner-mcp-td.zip from the releases page.
  2. Delete the existing touchdesigner-mcp-td folder and replace it with the newly extracted contents.
  3. Remove the old mcp_webserver_base component from your TouchDesigner project and import the .tox from the new folder.
  4. 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.

For a deeper look at how the MCP server enforces these rules, see Version Compatibility Verification.

Troubleshooting connection errors

• 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!

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature).
3. Make your changes.
4. Add tests and ensure everything works (npm test).
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature').
6. Push to your branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature).
7. Open a pull request.

Please always include appropriate tests when making implementation changes.

License

MIT