Inkscape MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables live control of Inkscape through natural language instructions. This allows AI assistants like Claude to directly manipulate vector graphics in real-time.

Features

• 🎯 Live Instance Control - Direct manipulation of running Inkscape documents
• ⚡ D-Bus Integration - Real-time communication
• 🚀 Universal Element Creation - Create any SVG element with unified syntax
• 🏗️ Hierarchical Scene Management - Semantic organization with automatic ID collision handling
• 📐 Python Code Execution - Run arbitrary inkex code in live context
• 🖼️ Screenshot Support - Visual feedback with viewport capture

Platform Support

• ⚠️ Currently Linux Only - Uses D-Bus which is Linux-specific
• 🔮 Future: Cross-platform support possible via TCP sockets/named pipes

Quick Start

1. Installation (Linux Only)

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download inkmcp-extension.zip from the latest release
3. Extract it to your Inkscape extensions directory:

   cd ~/.config/inkscape/extensions/
   unzip ~/Downloads/inkmcp-extension.zip
   

2. Make Scripts Executable

cd ~/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp
chmod +x run_inkscape_mcp.sh inkmcpcli.py inkscape_mcp_server.py main.py

3. Start Inkscape

Launch Inkscape normally - the extension is hidden from the menu and only accessible via D-Bus.

4. Connect with AI Tools

Auto-Setup: The first time an AI client connects, it will automatically:

• Create Python virtual environment in ~/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp/venv/
• Install all required dependencies from requirements.txt
• Start the MCP server

No manual setup required!

Claude Code

Edit your Claude configuration file:

# ~/.claude/claude-config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "inkscape": {
      "command": "/home/USERNAME/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp/run_inkscape_mcp.sh"
    }
  }
}

Anthropic Claude Desktop

Update Claude desktop app settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "inkscape": {
      "command": "/home/USERNAME/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp/run_inkscape_mcp.sh"
    }
  }
}

Google Gemini/Codex

For Gemini, edit settings file:

# ~/.gemini/settings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "inkscape-mcp": {
      "command": "/home/USERNAME/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp/run_inkscape_mcp.sh"
    }
  }
}

For Codex, edit configuration:

# ~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.inkscape-mcp]
command = "/home/USERNAME/.config/inkscape/extensions/inkmcp/run_inkscape_mcp.sh"

Usage Examples

With AI Assistant (Claude Code/Gemini/etc) - Requires Running Inkscape

"In Inkscape, draw a smooth sine wave starting at the left edge in the middle of the document and apply power stroke path effect to it"
"In Inkscape, create a beautiful logo with a radial gradient circle and elegant typography"
"In Inkscape, draw a mathematical spiral using varying circle sizes with golden ratio"
"In Inkscape, create a house illustration with gable roof, wooden door, and flower garden"
"In Inkscape, design a data visualization chart with bars with hatch fill and labels using current document size"
"In Inkscape, export the current document as high-resolution PNG for presentation"

Available MCP Tools

inkscape_operation - Universal tool for all Inkscape operations:

• Create any SVG element (circle, rect, text, path, gradient, etc.)
• Execute Python/inkex code in live context
• Get document/selection information
• Export viewport screenshots
• Hierarchical element creation with groups
• Automatic ID collision handling

Hybrid Execution

Execute code seamlessly across multiple Python contexts with automatic variable sharing!

execute-hybrid CLI Command

Interleave local Python execution with Inkscape operations using magic comments:

# @local
import

... [View full README on GitHub](https://github.com/Shriinivas/inkmcp#readme)