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MCP Server (v3.0.0+)

The MCP (Model Context Protocol) server enables AI assistants like Claude Desktop and Cursor to interact directly with Autodesk Platform Services.

Overview

MCP is an open protocol that allows AI assistants to access external tools and data sources. RAPS implements an MCP server that exposes APS APIs as tools, enabling natural language interaction with your Autodesk cloud resources.

Starting the Server

raps serve

The server communicates via stdio (standard input/output), making it compatible with all MCP clients.

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "raps": {
      "command": "raps",
      "args": ["serve"],
      "env": {
        "APS_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "APS_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor IDE

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project or global config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "raps": {
      "command": "raps",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

For global configuration, create at: - Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json - macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Environment Variables

The MCP server uses the same environment variables as the CLI:

# Required for 2-legged operations
APS_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
APS_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret

# Optional - for 3-legged operations, login via CLI first
# raps auth login

Available Tools

The MCP server exposes 14 tools organized by functionality:

Authentication Tools

Tool Description
auth_test Test 2-legged OAuth credentials
auth_status Check authentication status (2-legged and 3-legged)

Bucket Tools

Tool Description
bucket_list List OSS buckets with optional region filter (US/EMEA)
bucket_create Create new bucket with retention policy
bucket_get Get bucket details (owner, policy, creation date)
bucket_delete Delete an empty bucket

Object Tools

Tool Description
object_list List objects in a bucket
object_delete Delete an object from a bucket
object_signed_url Generate pre-signed S3 download URL (2-60 min)
object_urn Get Base64-encoded URN for translation

Translation Tools

Tool Description
translate_start Start CAD file translation (svf2, obj, stl, step, iges, ifc)
translate_status Check translation job status

Data Management Tools

Tool Description
hub_list List accessible BIM 360/ACC hubs (requires 3-legged auth)
project_list List projects in a hub (requires 3-legged auth)

Example Conversations

Once configured, you can interact with APS using natural language:

List Buckets

"Show me all my APS buckets"

The AI will call bucket_list and display the results.

Create a Bucket

"Create a new bucket called 'my-project-files' with persistent retention in US region"

The AI will call bucket_create with the appropriate parameters.

Upload and Translate Workflow

"What objects are in my 'design-files' bucket?"

"Get me a download URL for 'model.rvt' that expires in 30 minutes"

"What's the URN for 'model.rvt' in the 'design-files' bucket?"

"Start translating that URN to SVF2 format"

"Check the translation status"

BIM 360/ACC Navigation

"List all my BIM 360 hubs"

"Show me the projects in hub ID 'b.abc123'"

Architecture

The MCP server reuses the existing RAPS codebase:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  AI Assistant                        │
│            (Claude, Cursor, etc.)                    │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                  │ MCP Protocol (stdio)
                  ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               RAPS MCP Server                        │
│                 raps serve                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│            Shared API Clients                        │
│  • AuthClient    • OssClient                        │
│  • DerivativeClient  • DataManagementClient         │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                  │ HTTPS
                  ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Autodesk Platform Services                 │
│  OSS • Model Derivative • Data Management • ...      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Debugging

Enable verbose logging by setting the RUST_LOG environment variable:

RUST_LOG=debug raps serve

Logs are written to stderr, so they won't interfere with the MCP protocol on stdout.

Requirements

  • APS credentials (APS_CLIENT_ID, APS_CLIENT_SECRET)
  • For 3-legged operations: Login via raps auth login before starting the server
  • MCP-compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)

Limitations

  • No file uploads - The MCP server cannot accept file uploads directly. Upload files using the CLI (raps object upload) first.
  • No interactive prompts - All parameters must be provided by the AI assistant.
  • Token storage - 3-legged tokens are read from the same storage as the CLI. Login with raps auth login before starting the server.