This is the English reading version of the Dutch news item Welke CAD-programma’s ondersteunen MCP in 2026?.
MCP is the standard with which an AI model drives tools. A CAD program with an MCP server lets a model read and change your drawing, instead of you typing everything. Until recently that was something for hobby projects; now one vendor after another ships it themselves. Below is who has what, and above all where you run into limits.
What an MCP server does in CAD
An MCP server is not a separate program, but a small attachment that couples an AI client to your CAD software. The model asks for something, the server translates that into commands in the program, and the result comes back. Depending on the server, the model can only watch along or really model, and that difference decides what you can do with it.
Open source
Five open-source programs have a real MCP server. With SolidCraft, CADRS and Open CAD Studio it is in the program itself, with FreeCAD and KiCad it comes from someone in the community. Each name links to the source.
| Program | MCP: the possibilities and limitations |
|---|---|
| SolidCraft | Built in. Modelling, measuring, screenshots and exporting. The app has to run and file access is limited. |
| CADRS | Built in. Sketches, features, STEP in and out. Only through loopback, the app has to be open. |
| FreeCAD | Community. Modelling, Python, FEM. Addon and RPC server have to be switched on. |
| KiCad | Community. Schematics and PCBs, ERC/DRC. KiCad 9, Node 20 and a separate Python. |
| Open CAD Studio | Built in. Reading drawings, commands, PNG. The native build only, needs a screen. |
Commercial
This is where the vendors’ own movement comes in. Each name links to their announcement or documentation.
| Program | MCP: the possibilities and limitations |
|---|---|
| Onshape (PTC) | Official, early access. Writing and inspecting FeatureScript. Needs a subscription and the admin’s permission. |
| Fusion (Autodesk) | Official, local. Modelling in the running session. Fusion open, server on. |
| Rhino (McNeel) | Official. Models and Grasshopper. Rhino open, plugin separate. |
| SketchUp (Trimble) | Official. 3D from text and images. Claude only, new files only. |
| Archicad (Graphisoft) | Official, beta. Querying, checking, batch. Only with Collaborate or Max. |
| AutoCAD (Autodesk) | Official. Querying objects. Assistant only, Windows, read-only. |
After that comes a second layer: narrow servers, servers that still have to appear, and programs where the vendor has nothing.
| Program | Status and what it is |
|---|---|
| Fusion Data | Official, cloud. Querying data only. |
| Fusion Compute | Official, cloud. The whole API behind one tool. |
| Revit | Official, tech preview. Querying and changing model data. |
| ODA | Announced, not out yet. Engine for STEP, IFC and DWG. |
| PTC Creo | Roadmap. A plan in three phases, nothing available yet. |
| Bricsys | Nothing official. Their forum says: not yet. |
| SolidWorks | Nothing official. Community servers only. |
| CATIA | Nothing official. The community drives the V5 desktop. |
| Solid Edge | Nothing official. A community server only. |
| NX | Nothing official. Community through NXOpen. |
| Inventor | Nothing official. Autodesk ships MCP for Fusion, Revit and Help, not for Inventor. |
Where you run into limits
The limitations differ per server, but they fall into a few kinds.
| Limitation | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Model choice | MCP is a protocol, so in theory every client works, a local model included. Rhino names LM Studio, ODA names Ollama. For the rest only Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor is mentioned. SketchUp works with Claude only, AutoCAD with Autodesk Assistant only. |
| The app has to run | With FreeCAD, Fusion, Rhino and CADRS the program has to be open, sometimes with a plugin or server switched on. |
| Licence | Onshape asks for a subscription and the admin’s permission. Archicad works only with Collaborate or Max. SketchUp gives thirty models for free. |
| Reading or writing | AutoCAD is read-only, writing is possible only in Civil 3D. Onshape does FeatureScript only. SketchUp makes new files only. |
| Cloud or local | Fusion Data and Onshape work in the cloud and take your model outside with them. SolidCraft warns itself that your AI client still sends prompts and screenshots to its provider. |
| An announcement is not availability | ODA has announced but not shipped, and at PTC Creo MCP is a plan. |
What this means if you want to vibecad
My verdict: the direction is clear. In a few years every CAD program worth anything will have an MCP server, and the question will no longer be whether you can connect a model, but which model. That is exactly what vibecadding is about: the model determines the result, the program is the executor. And where that executor sits matters: with the open-source programs in this overview the server runs on your own machine, with the cloud services your model sits with the vendor. If you want to start today, pick a connection you can put your own model on. That keeps your data at home, costs no subscription per call, and leaves you independent of a vendor who keeps its assistant closed.
Which model suits what task is on AI models for vibecadding. Keep an eye on this site for updates and tests; I will try these servers myself and publish here what works in practice.