codeofaxel/Kiln

**The open-source MCP server for 3D printing.**
Kiln lets AI agents (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex, or any custom MCP client) drive real 3D printers end to end — Bambu Lab, Creality, Prusa, Elegoo, Voron, Sovol, AnkerMake, Artillery, FlashForge, QIDI, RatRig, and SparkX. It is compatible with OctoPrint, Moonraker/Klipper, PrusaLink, and Direct USB.
In a single conversation, an agent can design a part, slice it, queue it on the right printer, monitor the camera, recover from failures, and ship the result. No human in the middle.
> **Reading this as an AI agent?** **kiln3d.com/agents** is written for you rather than for the person running you: install, MCP config, the design-to-print loop, and exactly what Kiln will refuse to do and why.
"a coaster with a photo of my dog Ash" — start to finish, from one sentence.
Watch the demo →
Kiln's built in the open. If it made your printing more fun, or just saved you a headache, a ⭐ on the repo helps the next maker find it.
Quick Start
**Using Claude Desktop? Install Kiln in one click.** Download kiln.mcpb and double-click it — Claude Desktop installs Kiln and wires it in (just Claude Desktop: steps 1 and 2 below are how Codex and every other AI app connect), so those steps aren't yours. Two things still are: OpenSCAD, and Kiln's terms — the command shows them and asks you to type your acceptance, which is why it's yours and not your AI's: uvx --from kiln3d kiln accept-terms. The bundle and that command both run on uv — free, with a one-line install for each platform at that link. If Claude Desktop says the server failed to start, that's uv missing: install it and restart. Updates arrive with the extension, not via kiln self-update.
Everyone else — three steps. Then ask your AI to make something.
**1. Install**
**2. Connect your AI** — Kiln sets itself up inside Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Codex:
Restart your AI app and it can run your printer. (Claude Code and Codex can even run this whole setup for you — the one-prompt version lives at kiln3d.com/install.) Using a different MCP client? kiln install-mcp --print prints the config — or paste it yourself:
Manual MCP config (any client, no sign-in needed)
**No install needed?** Swap the command for a zero-install runner — "command": "uvx", "args": ["kiln3d", "serve"] (Python), or "command": "npx", "args": ["kiln3d"] (Node). Same server, nothing to pip install.
Drop this into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or any MCP-capable agent. Runs on the free tier until you sign in.
**3. Ask** — paste a sentence like this into your agent. Kiln does the rest:
> Make me a coaster with my dog's photo on it
That's the whole happy path. Your AI does the designing, slicing, and printing — you never touch a CLI. OS-specific walkthrough (Windows, WSL 2, Linux) at **kiln3d.com/install**.
> [!TIP]
> kiln doctor checks your whole setup and tells you exactly what to fix. kiln self-update upgrades in place when a new release lands.
Prefer to drive it yourself? (CLI tour)
Global option: --printer targets a specific printer per command. The full command reference is in Project Docs.
Connect a specific agent (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, env vars)
**Claude Code** — install the plugin (one-time: install uv first if you don't have it — it's free and takes one line):
Or wire it by hand — add to .claude/settings.json (project) or ~/.claude/settings.json (global):
Claude Code uses your ~/.kiln/config.yaml for printer credentials (set via kiln setup or kiln auth). No env vars needed if a printer is already configured.
**Claude Desktop** — add to ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
Set KILN_PRINTER_TYPE to your backend: octoprint, moonraker, bambu, prusalink, elegoo, duet, or usb — or skip env vars entirely if you've run kiln setup.
**Any other LLM (OpenRouter)** — Kiln works with any model that supports OpenAI-compatible function calling, not just Claude:
Tool tiers auto-match model capability: **essential** (15 tools) for smaller models, **standard** (60 tools) for mid-range, **full** (135 tools) for stronger models. All 919 tools are available over MCP via kiln serve.
Platform & printer setup notes (Linux/WSL 2, Ethernet-only, Bambu)
Prerequisites by printer type
| Printer | --type | What you need |
|---------|----------|---------------|
| **Prusa MK4/XL/Mini+** | prusalink | IP + API key (Settings › Network › PrusaLink on the LCD) |
| **OctoPrint** (any printer) | octoprint | OctoPrint URL + API key (User Settings › Application Keys) |