AutoMaya MCP

Control Autodesk Maya 2024 from Claude (Desktop, Code, Cursor, any MCP client) with 244 typed tools, an in-Maya console, free asset libraries, AI 3D generation, and a real time change stream built for driving an external viewport such as Unreal.

Claude  <-- MCP stdio -->  automaya_mcp (Python)  <-- framed TCP 9877 -->  AutoMaya bridge inside Maya
                                                                              |-- dockable console (PySide2)
                                                                              |-- OpenMaya change bus
                                                                              '-- NDJSON broadcast 9878 -> Unreal

What makes it different from the other Maya MCPs

Related MCP server: Maya MCP Server

Install

pip install -e ".[dev]"          # from this repo (or: pip install automaya-mcp once published)
automaya-mcp install-plugin      # writes automaya.mod into ~/Documents/maya/2024/modules

Restart Maya 2024. An AutoMaya menu appears and the console docks next to the Attribute Editor. The bridge starts on port 9877 automatically (change it from the gear button in the console header).

Add the server to your MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "automaya": { "command": "automaya-mcp", "env": { "AUTOMAYA_PORT": "9877" } }
  }
}

Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json. Claude Code: .mcp.json in your project or claude mcp add automaya -- automaya-mcp.

Ask Claude: "check the Maya status, then build a 35mm shot camera on a crane rig and block a rough street with primitives."

Environment variables

Keys can also be pasted into the Settings dialog (gear button in the console header, AI 3D APIs page, each provider has a Test button); they are stored in <MAYA_APP_DIR>/automaya/prefs.json with 0600 permissions and never sent anywhere except the provider they belong to.

Tool families

core, scene, modeling, materials, rigging_animation, previs, sim_vfx, arnold, assets, generation, intelligence, livelink, introspect, plus the Craft layer: craft_procgen (parametric buildings, streets, rooms, furniture, terrain, scatter at real scale), craft_light (solar position, HDRI, three point and studio rigs, practicals in lumens and Kelvin, exposure in EV), craft_lookdev (measured PBR library, wear, variation, ACES, render presets), craft_critique (render analysis and reference comparison with concrete fixes), craft_photo (camera match, photo to block, depth relief), craft_plan (scene plan, quality gate). See docs/CRAFT.md. The full list with parameters is in docs/TOOLS.md. Prompts shipped with the server: asset_creation_strategy, previs_shot_workflow, unreal_realtime_viewport, astra_loop, lighting_science, photo_to_scene.

Real time viewport in Unreal

1. maya_livelink_start opens the broadcast port and enables change tracking.

2. In Unreal's Output Log: py unreal/automaya_subscriber.py then automaya_subscriber.start(); sync() pulls the scene graph and spawns placeholder actors; transform edits in Maya move them live.

3. Geometry arrives through maya_livelink_export_usd (stage reload) or maya_livelink_mesh_buffers.

The schema, coordinate conversion, and the outline for turning the subscriber into a C++ ILiveLinkSource are in docs/UNREAL_BRIDGE.md.

Development

python3 -m pytest -q             # 468 tests: protocol, registry, every domain over a real socket against a maya stub
ruff check src maya_plugin tests unreal
mayapy tests/maya_integration/run_in_mayapy.py   # integration pattern inside a real Maya
python3 scripts/gen_tool_catalogue.py            # refresh docs/TOOLS.md

Architecture, orchestration diagrams and the module contract live in docs/. The vault/ folder is an Obsidian ready knowledge base about the project for humans and for Claude.

Security notes

The bridge binds to localhost only. maya_execute_python is on by default because that is what makes an agent useful in a DCC; turn on safe mode (console or env) to restrict it. Nothing phones home: there is no telemetry.

License

MIT