Prepare the server locally
Run this once before adding it to Claude Code.
git clone https://github.com/LLNL/paraview_mcp.git
cd paraview_mcp
conda create -n paraview_mcp python=3.10
conda install conda-forge::paraview
conda install mcp[cli] httpxRegister it in Claude Code
claude mcp add paraview-mcp -- /path/to/python /path/to/paraview_mcp/paraview_mcp_server.pyReplace any placeholder paths in the command with the real path on your machine.
Make your agent remember this setup
paraview-mcp's config, env vars, and the gotchas you hit — recalled in every future Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex session.
npx conare@latestFree · one command · indexes the sessions already on disk. Set up in the browser instead →
What it does
- Autonomous creation and manipulation of scientific visualizations
- Multimodal LLM integration for natural language control
- Visual feedback capabilities for iterative refinement
- Direct tool use for ParaView operations
- Reduces reliance on complex GUI operations
Try it
Original README from llnl/paraview_mcp
Paraview_MCP
ParaView-MCP is an autonomous agent that integrates multimodal large language models with ParaView through the Model Context Protocol, enabling users to create and manipulate scientific visualizations using natural language and visual inputs instead of complex commands or GUI operations. The system features visual feedback capabilities that allow it to observe the viewport and iteratively refine visualizations, making advanced visualization accessible to non-experts while augmenting expert workflows with intelligent automation.
Video Demo
Click the image below to watch the video:
Installation
git clone https://github.com/LLNL/paraview_mcp.git
cd paraview_mcp
conda create -n paraview_mcp python=3.10
conda install conda-forge::paraview
conda install mcp[cli] httpx
Setup for LLM
To set up integration with claude desktop, add the following to claude_desktop_config.json
"mcpServers": {
"ParaView": {
"command": "/path/to/python",
"args": [
"/path/to/paraview_mcp/paraview_mcp_server.py"
]
}
}
running
1. Start paraview server
python pvserver --multi-clients
2. Connect to paraview server from paraview GUI (file -> connect)
3. Start claude desktop app
Citing Paraview_MCP
S. Liu, H. Miao, and P.-T. Bremer, “Paraview-MCP: Autonomous Visualization Agents with Direct Tool Use,” in Proc. IEEE VIS 2025 Short Papers, 2025, pp. 00
@inproceedings{liu2025paraview,
title={Paraview-MCP: Autonomous Visualization Agents with Direct Tool Use},
author={Liu, S. and Miao, H. and Bremer, P.-T.},
booktitle={Proc. IEEE VIS 2025 Short Papers},
pages={00},
year={2025},
organization={IEEE}
}
Authors
Paraview_MCP was created by Shusen Liu ([email protected]) and Haichao Miao ([email protected])
License
Paraview_MCP is distributed under the terms of the BSD-3 license.
LLNL-CODE-2007260