RhinoAI (Rhino MCP Platform)
McNeel's first-party Rhino plugin and MCP server that connects Rhino and Grasshopper to AI assistants so agents can create and edit geometry, run Rhino commands, write scripts and build Grasshopper definitions in a live session.
What it does and how it connects
RhinoAI is McNeel's first-party AI integration for Rhino, shipped as a Rhino plugin plus an MCP server. The docs site calls it a free MCP from McNeel, the makers of Rhino and Grasshopper, that connects the software to AI assistants such as Claude, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Gemini, and local LLMs.
Once installed, the assistant can see what is in the user's Rhino and Grasshopper files, create geometry, run commands, write and edit scripts, and build Grasshopper definitions. The fastest path, per the README, is Claude Desktop: install the Rhino3d connector and let it install the Rhino plugin. Other assistants are covered by the getting-started guides on the docs site.
The repo also ships a Claude Code plugin, a connector, shared libraries, and tests, and it is built and debugged from VS Code, launching Rhino and starting the MCP server in one step. The README points questions, discussions, and ideas to the Rhino Discourse forums or to GitHub issues.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- Zoo MCP (KittyCAD/mcp)
The official Zoo MCP server that executes KCL in persistent modeling sessions, rather than McNeel's first-party MCP server for Rhino and Grasshopper.
- Autodesk Fusion MCP Server
Autodesk's built-in local MCP server for live Fusion modeling, rather than McNeel's first-party MCP server for Rhino.
- solidworks-mcp (jaylamping)
An MCP server for SolidWorks on Windows with a TypeScript front end and a .NET COM worker, rather than McNeel's first-party MCP server for Rhino.
- onshape-mcp (mbvjdev)
A local MCP server that gives AI agents rate-limited tools to create and inspect Onshape parts, rather than McNeel's first-party MCP server for Rhino.
Recurring errors it addresses
Error Index entries this tool is built to reduce or work around.
- The Rhino MCP server silently never started on a Mac with no supported AI client installed: slot listing came back empty, commands timed out at 120 seconds, and nothing was logged.Error Index
- Rhino DXF import skipped a repeated vertex in a self-retracing LWPOLYLINE, so a horizontal edge disappeared and a new diagonal appeared. AutoCAD and Illustrator open the same file correctly, silently changing laser-cut geometry.Error Index
- Rhino 9's CommandHistory returns only the command name and drops everything commands print, breaking years of scripts that read command history.Error Index
- a headless Rhino.Inside worker behind an MCP server loaded a placeholder System.Management.dll, got a different device id, and Cloud Zoo licensing then voided every open desktop Rhino (McNeel RH-99363); the fix commits sat unpushed from Oct 22.Error Index
- The MCP tool's four-point surface rebuild kept only a face's corners, so a curved panel with coplanar corners (e.g. a cylinder section) was replaced by a flat surface instead of skipped.Error Index
Sources
Not verified
- Dollar pricing for Rhino itself: the MCP platform is free per the docs site, but no Rhino license price is stated on the pages read.
- Real user voices: recent issues and PRs are by maintainers or contributors, with no user experience report; the README points to the Rhino Discourse forums for questions.
- A named individual builder beyond McNeel.
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.