Bonsai MCP

Bonsai-mcp is a Blender plugin that enables analysis and operation of IFC building models through IfcOpenShell, supporting interaction with LLMs like Claude to perform building information model query tasks.

Artificial intelligence chatbots Developer tools #Building model #IFC analysis #Blender plugin #AI interaction .Python

rating : 2.5 points

downloads : 6.7K

update time : 2025-04-23

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What is Bonsai-mcp?

Bonsai-mcp is a bridge connecting Blender and AI assistants, specifically designed for IFC format models in the construction industry. It allows you to query building model information through natural language, perform professional analysis, and obtain structured data feedback.

How to use Bonsai-mcp?

After installing the Blender plugin and configuring the Claude client, you can directly use dedicated tools in the chat interface to query model information. You can obtain professional data such as the attributes of building elements and the spatial structure without writing code.

Use cases

Scenarios that require interactive access to IFC model data, such as building information model review, construction progress simulation, facility management query, and building performance analysis.

Main features

IFC model query

Supports multi-dimensional queries of IFC models, including element type filtering, attribute extraction, and spatial relationship analysis

BIM professional analysis

Provides 5 professional analysis tools: project information, entity list, attribute viewing, spatial structure, and relationship analysis

Seamless integration with Blender

Enables real-time interaction with Blender through Socket communication, supporting code execution and model modification

Structured thinking tool

Built-in step-by-step thinking framework, supporting structured analysis of complex problems and derivation of solutions

Advantages

Access to professional BIM data without programming

Support for the industry-standard IFC format

Deep integration with AI assistants like Claude

Provision of analysis tools specific to the construction industry

Limitations

Requires a Blender and Bonsai BIM plugin environment

Performance delays may occur when querying large models

Some advanced functions require basic Python knowledge

How to use

Environment preparation

Install Blender 3.0+ and the Bonsai BIM plugin, and ensure a Python 3.10+ environment

Install the plugin

Install addon.py in the Blender preferences and enable IFC function support

Configure Claude

Edit the claude_desktop_config.json file and add the MCP server configuration

Connect and use

Click "Connect to Claude" in the Blender sidebar, and then use the IFC tools in Claude

Usage examples

Building element statistics

Quickly obtain the quantity statistics of various building elements in the model

Spatial analysis

Analyze the hierarchical structure and spatial relationships of the building

Element attribute query

Get detailed technical parameters of specific building elements

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I connect to Blender?

How to handle large IFC models?

How to expand the IFC query function?

Related resources

Original BlenderMCP project

Basic MCP implementation project

IFC official standard

Technical specification for the IFC format

Bonsai BIM plugin

Core IFC processing for Blender

🚀 Bonsai-mcp - Integration of Blender Model Context Protocol with IFC via IfcOpenShell

Bonsai-mcp is a fork of BlenderMCP, extending its functionality and providing specialized support for IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) models through Bonsai. This integration is a rapid proof-of-concept, aiming to demonstrate the ability to connect Claude (or other LLMs, although only the Claude Desktop Client has been tested here) to Blender to execute IfcOpenShell commands.

✨ Features

IFC-specific Features: Query IFC models, analyze spatial structures, and examine building elements.
Five Powerful IFC Tools: View project information, list entities, check attributes, explore spatial structures, and analyze relationships.
Sequential Thinking Tools: Sequential thinking tools from modelcontextprotocol/servers for structured problem-solving.
Code Execution Tools (from the original BlenderMCP implementation): Create and modify objects, apply materials, and execute Python code in Blender.
Validated Standard Models: Compatible with the default ifcopenshell house model.

🔧 Technical Details

The IFC integration uses the Bonsai BIM module to access IfcOpenShell functionality. Communication follows the same JSON-based protocol as the original BlenderMCP, conducted via TCP sockets.

📚 Documentation

The bonsai-mcp project is divided into two main parts:

server: Responsible for handling requests from clients (such as Claude) and executing corresponding operations.
client: Used to communicate with the server and send instructions to control operations in Blender.

📦 Installation

To use Bonsai-mcp, follow these installation and configuration steps:

1. Install Dependencies

Ensure the following software is installed:

Blender (recommended version 3.x)
Python (recommended version 3.8 or higher)
IfcOpenShell
Bonsai BIM plugin

2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/bonsai-mcp.git
cd bonsai-mcp

3. Install Python Packages

Install the required Python packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Start the Server

Start the Bonsai-mcp server:

python server.py

5. Use the Client

Use the provided client script to interact with the server. For example, to send a message:

python client.py --message "Analyze this IFC model"

💻 Usage Examples

Here are some example commands demonstrating how to operate through Bonsai-mcp:

Basic Usage

Query Model Information:

python client.py --message "get_model_info"

List All Entities:

python client.py --message "list_entities"

Advanced Usage

Execute Sequential Thinking Tools:

python client.py --message "sequential_thinking analyze_building_energy_efficiency"

📄 License

Contributions are welcome! Please refer to the license file in the project repository for usage terms.

⚠️ Important Note

Connection Issues: Ensure that the Blender plugin server is running and the MCP server in Claude is correctly configured.

IFC Model Not Loaded: Verify that the Bonsai BIM plugin is installed and has loaded the IFC file.

Timeout Errors: Try simplifying requests or breaking operations into smaller steps.