If you want Claude Code to actually build a scene in Blender when you type something like "add a dragon to this dungeon scene," you can connect the two through MCP (Model Context Protocol) — an open standard that lets an AI like Claude talk to external programs in a structured way. This guide walks through installing uv, setting up the Blender add-on, and registering the server with Claude Code so the connection actually works. With everything ready, it takes about 15-20 minutes.
What this guide lets you do
Following this guide lets you make Claude Code create and modify scenes, objects, and materials in Blender just by describing what you want in plain language. The main capabilities this connection exposes are:
- Scene and object control — read the current scene state, and create, modify, or delete shapes.
- Material creation and assignment — handle requests like "make this car red and metallic."
- Python code execution — run Blender's internal scripting API directly (see the security notes below).
- GLB/FBX export — save finished scenes into formats other programs can open.
- External asset import — pull in models from sources like Poly Haven, Sketchfab, and Poly Pizza.
What you need before starting
You need three things before starting: Blender, the uv package manager, and Claude Code.
- Blender 3.0 or later — already installed and runnable.
- Python 3.10 or later — once uv is installed, uvx handles this automatically, so you usually don't need to install Python separately.
- uv — a Python package and tool runner (install it with the official installer script, not
pip install uv). - Claude Code installed and signed in — confirm the
claudecommand works in your terminal before proceeding.
Install uv with the command for your OS:
| OS | Install command |
|---|---|
| macOS | brew install uv |
| Windows (PowerShell) | irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex |
| Linux | curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh |
Quick terms
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) — an open standard that lets an AI like Claude call the features of an external program like Blender in a structured, predictable way.
- uv / uvx — a Python package and tool manager.
uvxdownloads and runs a tool on the spot without a separate install step. - Socket server — a communication channel programs use to exchange data. Here, the Blender add-on opens this server on your own machine (localhost) so the MCP server can talk to it.
- Add-on — an extension that adds functionality to Blender.
Two ways to connect Blender to Claude
There are two ways to connect Blender to Claude: the official MCP server that the Blender Foundation distributes through Blender Lab, and the community MCP server (mcp-for-blender, formerly blender-mcp). This guide follows the community server because it installs in a few commands and works from Blender 3.0. The official server is also a standard MCP server, so it can be attached to Claude Code, but its page requires Blender 5.1 or later and its source-install instructions are written around llama.cpp, which is a steeper start for beginners (checked September 17, 2026).
| Official Blender Lab MCP server | Community MCP server (mcp-for-blender) | |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | Any standard MCP client (.mcpb bundle where supported, or install from source) | Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and other MCP clients |
| Minimum Blender | 5.1 or later (official page) | 3.0 or later (project README) |
| Install | Add the Blender Lab repository, then the add-on (drag twice) or install the ZIP, plus a separate MCP server install | Run the server via uv/uvx and install the add-on with install-addon |
| Maintained by | Blender Foundation (Blender Lab) | Open-source community project (third-party, not affiliated with Blender) |
Separately, the connector list in the Claude Desktop app also has a "Blender" entry (one of the nine creative-tool connectors Anthropic announced on April 28, 2026). That route is Desktop-only, and since the Blender version shown in Claude's UI and on Blender's official page differ (4.2 vs 5.1), running the latest Blender is the safe choice.
Step-by-step setup
Connecting Blender to Claude Code takes five steps: install uv, install the Blender add-on, start the server in Blender, register the server with Claude Code, and verify the connection.
Step 1 — Install uv
Paste the command for your OS from the table above into your terminal.
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | shSuccess looks like: running uv --version prints a version number.
Step 2 — Install the MCP add-on in Blender
Run this in your terminal to install the add-on into Blender automatically.
uvx mcp-for-blender install-addonIf automatic install doesn't work, open Blender and go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons, search for "MCP for Blender," and install it manually (get the install file from the project's GitHub repository). Success looks like: the add-on appears checked in the Add-ons list.
Step 3 — Start the server inside Blender
In Blender's 3D viewport, press N to open the sidebar, find the MCP-related tab, and click the button that starts the connection to turn on the socket server (the exact button label can vary by add-on version, so check what's shown on your screen). Success looks like: the tab shows a "connected" or similar status.
Warning — once this is on, Claude can modify your Blender file directly. Save your .blend file before turning the server on.
Step 4 — Register the server with Claude Code
Run this in your terminal (not inside a claude session):
claude mcp add blender uvx mcp-for-blenderSuccess looks like: a confirmation message such as Added stdio MCP server blender.... By default this registers at local scope (active only in the current project); add --scope user to make it available in every project instead.
Step 5 — Verify the connection
claude mcp listSuccess looks like: the blender server shows ✔ Connected. If you see ✘ Failed to connect, the server inside Blender (step 3) probably isn't running — check the Blender window.
Try it out — example prompts
Once connected, try these in a Claude Code session to confirm it's working:
- "Create a low poly scene in a dungeon with a dragon"
- "Make this car red and metallic"
- "Point the camera at the scene, and make it isometric"
If the tool call in Claude Code's output is labeled with the blender server name, the request actually went through this connection.
Common issues and fixes
Most connection and response problems trace back to one of the causes below.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
claude mcp list shows Failed to connect | The server inside Blender isn't running, or Blender is closed | Open Blender and start the server from the N-panel, then check again |
| Connected, but no tools appear | Add-on version doesn't match the server version | Reinstall the latest add-on and restart Blender |
| Timeout errors on complex requests | The request is too large to handle in one step | Break the request into smaller steps and ask sequentially |
| Downloads from Poly Haven, Sketchfab, etc. fail | Connectivity issues reaching the external site | Check your network and retry |
Security notes
The main thing to watch for is that Claude can execute arbitrary Python code inside Blender through this connection.
- Arbitrary code execution — some of the tools run Blender's internal Python code directly, which is powerful but can also produce unintended results.
- Blender's official warning — Blender Lab's MCP server page states that the server executes LLM-generated code with no guards against data being deleted or sent elsewhere, and recommends using a virtual machine or a system without sensitive data. The community server has the same architecture, so the same advice applies.
- Save before you start — always save your .blend file before turning on the server and sending requests.
- Safe mode — with the community server, setting the environment variable
BLENDER_MCP_SAFE_MODE=1checks every script before it runs and blocks risky actions such as direct file reads/writes, launching other programs, or network access (per the README). Normal modeling, materials, rendering, saving, and import/export keep working. - Keep it local — the socket server runs without authentication, so it's safest to keep it on your own machine rather than exposing it to a network.
Next steps
The add → list → use pattern you just used applies to any other MCP server you connect to Claude Code, not just Blender. To use this server across every project, re-register it with --scope user; to share the setup with a team, register with --scope project and commit the resulting .mcp.json to your repository.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is Blender MCP only usable from Claude Code?
No. The community MCP server covered here works with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients too, not just Claude Code. The Blender Foundation's official MCP server (Blender 5.1+) is likewise a standard MCP server and isn't tied to one client. Only the "Blender" entry in the Claude Desktop app's connector list is Desktop-only.
Q. Is it risky to use a tool like execute_blender_code?
Yes, some caution is warranted, since it runs arbitrary Python code. Always save your work first and keep an eye on what it does as you go.
Q. Does a server I register with Claude Code show up in other projects?
Not by default. Local scope only applies to the project you registered it in — add --scope user to make it available everywhere.
Q. Do I need to redo setup every time I restart Blender?
The add-on install and the Claude Code registration only need to happen once, but the socket server inside Blender needs to be turned back on from the N-panel each time you reopen Blender.
With five steps — from installing uv to checking claude mcp list — you can drive Blender from Claude Code's terminal using plain-language requests.