MCP gateway for Autodesk Revit — local tools for agents, optional personal bake loop
English · Tiếng Việt · 简体中文 · 日本語
rvt-mcp is a local bridge between an MCP client and a running Revit session. A .NET 8 server talks MCP over stdio; a thin add-in per Revit year (2022–2027) runs inside Revit and is reached over localhost TCP (≤2024) or a named pipe (≥2025). Nothing leaves the machine, it is C# end to end, and lengths are millimetres at the tool boundary. Details: ARCHITECTURE.md.
Agents get a typed tool surface for common Revit work, a C# escape hatch for everything else, and an optional way to turn repeated patterns into personal tools (ToolBaker): start from a shared runtime and grow your tools on top. Family Editor authoring is out of scope for now.
For users: let your AI agent do it. You don't need to run anything yourself. Copy the line below, paste it into your AI agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, …) and go get a coffee while it does the job. The agent follows AGENTS.md and asks you before it installs anything or edits your client config.
Install rvt-mcp for me: https://github.com/bimwright/rvt-mcp
Or run the installer yourself. Close Revit, then in PowerShell:
$tag = (Invoke-RestMethod https://api.github.com/repos/bimwright/rvt-mcp/releases/latest).tag_name
$dir = "$env:TEMP\RvtMcp.Setup-$tag-win-x64"
Invoke-WebRequest "https://github.com/bimwright/rvt-mcp/releases/download/$tag/RvtMcp.Setup-$tag-win-x64.zip" -OutFile "$dir.zip"
Expand-Archive "$dir.zip" -DestinationPath $dir -Force
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$dir\install.ps1"One run sets up both sides: the add-in for every Revit 2022–2027 on the machine, and the rvt-mcp entry in every MCP client it finds (each config is backed up first). Add -WhatIf to preview, -Client claude,cursor to wire only those clients, or -Client none to skip client configs and register the server yourself — it lives at %LOCALAPPDATA%\RvtMcp\rvt\server\current\rvt-mcp.exe (per-client steps).
Check it works: restart your AI client, open a model in Revit, start MCP from the ribbon (Add-Ins → RvtMcp) and ask the agent to call revit_get_current_view_info. It should return the active view's name and type.
Upgrade: run the new release's installer the same way — no uninstall first; clients only need a restart. Uninstall: uninstall.ps1 -Yes in the same folder removes the add-ins and the server (settings stay unless you add -Purge); run install.ps1 -Uninstall -Client auto first to also remove the client entries. More, including developer and NuGet installs: docs/install.md.
Community videos of rvt-mcp at work. Install steps shown in a video can be older than this README — follow the steps above.
- Connecting ChatGPT Astra to Revit | Testing AI Changes in a Real Project — Revit Mentor
- Exploring Revit + GPT 6 Astra — BIM Pure
- GPT-6 Astra Built a Revit House in 14 Minutes — Archi Vlogs
| Mode | Tools | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh install | 227 | install.ps1 seeds "toolsets": ["all"] in rvtmcp.config.json |
Bare rvt-mcp.exe |
42 | query + create + view + meta |
--toolsets all |
227 | Full catalog |
all + adaptive bake |
230 | Adds 3 suggestion-lifecycle tools |
Counts exclude your personal baked tools. The installer writes the seeded default only when rvtmcp.config.json doesn't already set toolsets — your own list survives upgrades, and removing the key (or setting your own CSV) returns a bare server to the 42-tool surface. --read-only drops every write-capable toolset (including create) regardless of source.
| Toolset | What it covers |
|---|---|
query |
View, selection, filters, stats, parameters, relationships, worksets, groups/assemblies |
create |
Grids, levels, rooms, line/point/surface-based elements, groups |
view |
Create views, sheets layout helpers, capture image, crop/scale |
meta |
Batch execute (max 20), multi-Revit targets, recent models, project info, purge unused (MVP), message, send_code |
lint |
View naming patterns, firm-profile detect, warnings summary |
schedule |
List/create schedules, fields, formulas, data |
families |
Load/unload, types, instances, audit, export .rfa (project-side) |
modify |
Operate/color elements, set parameters, change type, workset assign |
delete |
Delete by id |
annotation |
Tags, text, dimensions, regions, keynotes, checks |
export |
PDF/DWG/IFC/NWC helpers, room data, and related export tools |
mep |
Systems, connectors, networks, place terminals/fixtures, etc. |
graphics |
View filters, overrides, visibility/phase |
toolbaker |
list/run baked tools; suggestion tools only if adaptive on |
sheets |
Sheets, titleblocks, revisions, renumber |
materials |
Materials, appearance, assignment, takeoff |
geometry |
BBox, measure, clash, volume/area, … |
rooms |
Rooms/areas/spaces, finishes, separators |
links |
Revit/CAD links, coordinate audit, acquire/publish coordinates |
parameters |
Project/shared parameters |
organization |
Saved selections, view templates |
workflows |
Composite clash/audit/sheet/takeoff-style flows |
structural |
Columns, beams, foundations, rebar, loads, … |
revit_send_code_to_revit(on by default) compiles and runs a C# body inside Revit when no typed tool fits;--read-onlyor--disable-toolbakerremoves it. See docs/send-code.md, and docs/stairs-workflow.md for stairs.- ToolBaker:
revit_list_baked_tools/revit_run_baked_toolneed--toolsets toolbaker. Adaptive bake (--enable-adaptive-bake, off by default) suggests tools from repeated calls; nothing is added until you accept one. Bake compiles inside Revit — no Visual Studio needed. See docs/bake.md. - Ribbon: start or stop the connection, open History to search and re-run past calls, and switch completion Toasts (on by default).
- UI languages: the add-in UI comes in 15 languages and follows Revit's UI language; change it with the Language button in the ribbon slide-out — it opens Settings → General → Language (
BIMWRIGHT_UI_LANGUAGEstill wins). Tool names and payloads stay English. See docs/localization.md.
Toasts are work feedback, not just decoration. They grew out of three practical needs:
- Free users from watching the chat. In real-world MCP workflows, an AI agent can work for a long time while Revit gives little visible feedback. Watching the chat just to check whether the agent is doing anything wastes attention. The activity card reports completed tool calls so users can turn to other work between updates.
- Support multitasking. The maintainer develops and repeatedly tests several desktop applications in parallel. Compact notifications make it easier to follow those sessions without keeping every chat in view.
- Modernize the experience. Revit-side feedback makes automation feel more responsive and understandable, without interrupting work with modal dialogs.
A toast reports a tool result, not progress inside a running tool or completion of the entire task. Repeated results share one card; notifications may wait while Revit is minimized or blocked by a modal dialog. They do not replace reviewing the agent's work.
Each card names the gateway and Revit year (for example rvt-mcp 2022), the latest tool, and the Success · Failed · Capture counts. A capture preview stays on the card for at least 5 seconds.
Notifications are on by default and can be turned off. In Settings → Toast, choose the idle duration (10/20/30/60 seconds; default 20) and Show branding (off by default), which shows the wordmark on hover. The choice applies immediately and is saved across Revit restarts; users do not need to display branding to get activity feedback.
Four ready-made workflows ship as MCP prompts — pick /mcp__rvt-mcp__revit_<name> (Claude Code) or the prompts menu (Claude Desktop), and the agent follows the script with the tools it already has:
revit_getting_started— orient in the open model (read-only, works on defaults).revit_model_audit— health audit: warnings, families, dry-run purge candidates (needsworkflows,families,lint,meta).revit_pre_issue_check— checks resolved sheets before issue (needssheets,view,annotation,lint,meta). Supply sheet numbers/IDs, an explicit number/name filter, orall; a named sheet set needs its member sheets. Sampled model warnings and incomplete checks are reported as NOT VERIFIED, not a sheet-level pass.revit_stairs— guided stair creation throughsend_code(writes only after your confirmation). Includes the transaction/failure/cleanup template; no source checkout is needed.
If a prompt's toolsets aren't enabled, it answers with the exact --toolsets line to add — nothing runs half-configured. Read-only protection stays on when the missing tools allow it; prompts requiring write-capable toolsets explain the conflict rather than silently changing configuration. Prompts are instructions for the agent, not server-enforced workflow locks.
Precedence, high wins: CLI → env (BIMWRIGHT_*) → %LOCALAPPDATA%\RvtMcp\rvtmcp.config.json.
| Setting | CLI | Env | JSON |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target year | --target 2024 |
BIMWRIGHT_TARGET |
target |
| Toolsets | --toolsets query,create |
BIMWRIGHT_TOOLSETS |
toolsets |
| Read-only | --read-only |
BIMWRIGHT_READ_ONLY=1 |
readOnly |
| LAN bind (plugin) | — | BIMWRIGHT_ALLOW_LAN_BIND=1 |
allowLanBind |
| ToolBaker surface | --enable-toolbaker / --disable-toolbaker |
BIMWRIGHT_ENABLE_TOOLBAKER |
enableToolbaker |
| Adaptive bake | --enable-adaptive-bake / --disable-adaptive-bake |
BIMWRIGHT_ENABLE_ADAPTIVE_BAKE=1 |
enableAdaptiveBake |
| Cache send_code bodies (bake clusters) | --cache-send-code-bodies / --no-… |
BIMWRIGHT_CACHE_SEND_CODE_BODIES=1 |
cacheSendCodeBodies |
| Persist send_code journal | --persist-send-code-bodies / --no-… |
BIMWRIGHT_PERSIST_SEND_CODE_BODIES=1 |
persistSendCodeBodies |
| Journal TTL | --persist-send-code-bodies-for 4h |
BIMWRIGHT_PERSIST_SEND_CODE_BODIES_TTL |
persistSendCodeBodiesUntil |
| Completion toast (default on) | ribbon Toast | BIMWRIGHT_ENABLE_TOAST=0 |
enableToast |
| Toast branding (default off, saved) | Settings → Toast → Show branding | — | showBranding |
| Toast idle duration (default 20 s) | Settings → Toast → Idle duration | — | toastIdleSeconds |
| UI language (add-in) | ribbon Language | BIMWRIGHT_UI_LANGUAGE |
uiLanguage |
After changing server flags, restart the MCP connection so the client picks up the new tool list.
| Revit | Plugin TFM | Transport |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–2024 | .NET Framework 4.8 | TCP |
| 2025–2026 | .NET 8 (net8.0-windows7.0) |
Named Pipe |
| 2027 | .NET 10 (net10.0-windows7.0) |
Named Pipe |
Full Revit desktop only; Revit Viewer is not a supported target. CI builds all six add-ins, but runtime depth varies by year — recheck baked tools and custom C# on the years you use.
- Local by default: loopback TCP or a local named pipe, with a per-session auth token in the discovery files under
%LOCALAPPDATA%\RvtMcp\. - Tool arguments are schema-checked before handlers run; errors returned to the model are sanitized.
send_coderuns arbitrary C# in the Revit process — powerful and risky. Use--read-onlyor--disable-toolbakerif that is unacceptable.- Adaptive bake, body cache and send_code journals are opt-in and stay under your user profile; defaults do not write raw send_code bodies to long-lived logs.
More: SECURITY.md, docs/bake.md.
| Doc | Topic |
|---|---|
| AGENTS.md | Agent install protocol |
| docs/install.md | Installer details, upgrade, uninstall, developer and NuGet installs |
| docs/mcp-client-wiring.md | Per-client MCP wiring |
| ARCHITECTURE.md | Processes, transport, DTO rules |
| docs/send-code.md | send_code source forms and failure handling |
| docs/bake.md | Adaptive bake and body privacy |
| docs/localization.md | UI languages, overrides, hot reload |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | Build, test, add a tool |
| CHANGELOG.md | Release notes |
Code, bug reports, reproducible examples and proposals help improve rvt-mcp. Thanks to:
| Contributor | Contribution |
|---|---|
| @thiagobarretosn-hue | Reproducible reports on MEP network membership and pipe system handling (#11, #12). |
| @razmikb | Hosted-family placement and stair/send-code failure reports that led to placement checks, helper-class support and broader failure-handling tests (#13, #14). |
| @Thestreetarckitect | Family Authoring Tool Suite proposal that helped clarify the roadmap and scope (#7). |
| @PhanCongVuDuc | Pull request #15: the fix that lets send_code run with no model open, the revit_switch_target hint fix, and the revit_open_model proposal, shipped in reworked form in v0.8.1. |
Open-source tools connecting AI assistants to BIM and CAD applications.
The name bimwright combines BIM with wright, an old word for a maker or builder—as in shipwright.
See how the gateway names are chosen.
- rvt-mcp — Revit
- dwg-mcp — AutoCAD
- nwd-mcp — Navisworks
- ipt-mcp — Inventor
- bim-wiki — Vietnamese-first BIM notes
Apache-2.0 — LICENSE.
Forks and rebrands are welcome — the license terms are all that's required (keep LICENSE and the copyright notices, mark changed files). If rvt-mcp helped you, a star or a mention of BIMwright in your product is appreciated but entirely optional. Issues and PRs are always welcome.
Revit and Autodesk are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. bimwright is an independent open-source project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Autodesk, Inc.