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vangard-daz-mcp

Version 0.1.0 | MCP Server for DAZ Studio

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes DAZ Studio operations to Claude and other MCP clients. Built on FastMCP and wraps the DazScriptServer HTTP plugin.

What Is This?

This MCP server allows Claude (via Claude Desktop or other MCP clients) to control DAZ Studio directly:

  • Query scene information (figures, cameras, lights)
  • Read and modify node properties (transforms, morphs)
  • Load content files
  • Trigger renders
  • Execute arbitrary DazScript code
  • Access comprehensive DazScript documentation and examples

The server acts as a bridge: MCP Client ↔ vangard-daz-mcp ↔ DazScriptServer plugin ↔ DAZ Studio

Prerequisites

Before using this server, you need:

  1. DAZ Studio 4.5+ installed and running
  2. DazScriptServer plugin installed, configured, and active
  3. Python 3.11+ for running the MCP server
  4. uv package manager (recommended) or pip

Installation

Using uv (Recommended)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bluemoonfoundry/vangard-daz-mcp.git
cd vangard-daz-mcp

# Install dependencies
uv sync

# Run the server
uv run vangard-daz-mcp

Using pip

# Install from source
pip install .

# Run the server
vangard-daz-mcp

Configuration

Environment Variables

Configure the server via environment variables:

Variable Default Description
DAZ_HOST localhost DazScriptServer hostname
DAZ_PORT 18811 DazScriptServer port
DAZ_TIMEOUT 30.0 Request timeout in seconds (increase for long renders)
DAZ_API_TOKEN (from file) API token for authentication

Authentication

The server automatically reads the API token from ~/.daz3d/dazscriptserver_token.txt (the file created by DazScriptServer).

Override with environment variable:

export DAZ_API_TOKEN="your-token-here"

Important: DazScriptServer must have authentication enabled (default). The MCP server cannot connect without a valid token.

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your Claude Desktop config file:

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "daz-studio": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/absolute/path/to/vangard-daz-mcp",
        "run",
        "vangard-daz-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DAZ_TIMEOUT": "60.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace /absolute/path/to/vangard-daz-mcp with the actual path on your system.

After saving the config, restart Claude Desktop. The DAZ Studio tools will appear in Claude's tool palette.

Available Tools

📚 Documentation Tools

daz_script_help

Get DazScript documentation, examples, and best practices.

Arguments:

  • topic (string, default "overview"): Documentation topic to retrieve

Available Topics:

  • overview - DazScript environment basics
  • gotchas - Critical mistakes that cause timeouts or errors
  • camera - Camera creation, positioning, and aiming
  • light - Light creation, types, and three-point lighting
  • environment - Iray environment settings and lighting modes
  • scene - Scene management (new, save, load, selection)
  • properties - Node properties, transforms, and morphs
  • content - Browsing and loading content from library
  • coordinates - Coordinate system and positioning reference
  • posing - Figure posing, bone hierarchy, morphs vs poses, rotation gotchas
  • morphs - Morph discovery, searching, value ranges, and management
  • hierarchy - Scene hierarchy, parent-child relationships, parenting operations
  • interaction - Multi-character interaction, look-at mechanics, world-space posing

Returns: Formatted documentation with examples

Use when: Before writing custom DazScript code to learn correct patterns and avoid common mistakes.

Example:

daz_script_help("camera")  # Get camera documentation
daz_script_help("gotchas") # Learn critical gotchas

🔍 Inspection Tools

daz_status

Check DAZ Studio connectivity and version.

Returns:

{
  "running": true,
  "version": "1.2.0"
}

Use when: Verifying DAZ Studio is running and the connection works.

daz_scene_info

Get a snapshot of the current scene.

Returns:

{
  "sceneFile": "/path/to/scene.duf",
  "selectedNode": "Genesis 9",
  "figures": [
    {"name": "Genesis9", "label": "Genesis 9", "type": "DzFigure"}
  ],
  "cameras": [
    {"name": "Camera", "label": "Camera 1"}
  ],
  "lights": [
    {"name": "DistantLight", "label": "Distant Light", "type": "DzDistantLight"}
  ],
  "totalNodes": 3247
}

Use when: You need an overview of what's in the scene (characters, cameras, lights).

Note: Does not enumerate all nodes (scenes can have 1000+ nodes). Use daz_execute for fine-grained queries.

daz_get_node

Read all numeric properties of a node by its label or internal name.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Display label or internal name (e.g., "Genesis 9")

Returns:

{
  "name": "Genesis9",
  "label": "Genesis 9",
  "type": "DzFigure",
  "properties": {
    "X Translate": 0.0,
    "Y Translate": 0.0,
    "Z Translate": 0.0,
    "X Rotate": 0.0,
    "Y Rotate": 0.0,
    "Z Rotate": 0.0,
    "Scale": 100.0,
    "Head Size": 0.5
  }
}

Use when: You need to read transforms, morphs, or other numeric properties on a node.

🔬 Morph Discovery Tools

daz_list_morphs

List all morphs (numeric properties) on a node with their current values.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
  • include_zero (bool, default False): Include morphs with zero values

Returns:

{
  "morphs": [
    {"label": "Height", "name": "Height", "value": 1.05, "path": "Morphs/Body"},
    {"label": "Head Size", "name": "HeadSize", "value": 0.9, "path": "Morphs/Head"}
  ],
  "count": 2,
  "nodeLabel": "Genesis 9"
}

Use when:

  • Discovering what morphs are available on a figure
  • Checking which morphs are currently active
  • Building morph selection UIs
  • Exploring character customization options

Example:

# List only active morphs (non-zero values)
daz_list_morphs("Genesis 9", include_zero=False)

# List ALL available morphs (warning: may return 500-1000+ morphs)
daz_list_morphs("Genesis 9", include_zero=True)

Note: Genesis figures can have 1000+ morphs. Use include_zero=False to see only active morphs, or use daz_search_morphs to filter by pattern.

daz_search_morphs

Search for morphs matching a name pattern.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
  • pattern (string): Substring to search for (case-insensitive)
  • include_zero (bool, default False): Include morphs with zero values

Returns:

{
  "morphs": [
    {"label": "Smile", "name": "Smile", "value": 0.0, "path": "Morphs/Expressions"},
    {"label": "Smile Open", "name": "SmileOpen", "value": 0.0, "path": "Morphs/Expressions"}
  ],
  "count": 2,
  "pattern": "smile",
  "nodeLabel": "Genesis 9"
}

Use when:

  • Finding specific morphs (e.g., all smile morphs, head morphs)
  • Discovering morphs by category or body part
  • Building filtered morph lists

Example:

# Find all smile-related morphs
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "smile", include_zero=True)

# Find active head morphs only
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "head", include_zero=False)

# Find all facial expression morphs
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "express", include_zero=True)

Common search patterns:

  • "smile", "frown", "express" - Facial expressions
  • "head", "face", "nose" - Facial features
  • "arm", "leg", "body" - Body parts
  • "muscle", "tone", "fit" - Body definition
  • "height", "scale" - Size adjustments

🌳 Scene Hierarchy Tools

daz_get_node_hierarchy

Get complete hierarchy tree for a node with all descendants.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Root node display label or internal name
  • max_depth (int, default 10): Maximum recursion depth (0 = unlimited)

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "hierarchy": {
    "label": "Genesis 9",
    "name": "Genesis9",
    "type": "DzFigure",
    "children": [
      {
        "label": "hip",
        "name": "hip",
        "type": "DzBone",
        "children": [...]
      }
    ]
  },
  "totalDescendants": 127
}

Use when:

  • Understanding skeleton structure
  • Exploring bone relationships
  • Mapping complex scene hierarchies
  • Finding all descendants of a node

Example:

# Get skeleton hierarchy with depth limit
daz_get_node_hierarchy("Genesis 9", max_depth=3)

# Get full hierarchy (warning: Genesis 9 has 100+ bones)
daz_get_node_hierarchy("Genesis 9", max_depth=0)

daz_list_children

List direct children of a node.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Parent node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "hip",
  "children": [
    {"label": "pelvis", "name": "pelvis", "type": "DzBone"},
    {"label": "lThighBend", "name": "lThighBend", "type": "DzBone"},
    {"label": "rThighBend", "name": "rThighBend", "type": "DzBone"}
  ],
  "count": 3
}

Use when:

  • Exploring hierarchy one level at a time
  • Checking if a node has children
  • Building custom tree structures

Example:

# List children of Genesis 9 root
daz_list_children("Genesis 9")

# Check if node has children
result = daz_list_children("Camera 1")
if result["count"] == 0:
    print("No children")

daz_get_parent

Get parent node of a node.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Child node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "lHand",
  "parent": {
    "label": "lForearmBend",
    "name": "lForearmBend",
    "type": "DzBone"
  }
}

Returns null for parent if node is a root (no parent).

Use when:

  • Traversing hierarchy upward
  • Finding what contains a node
  • Checking if node is a root

Example:

# Get parent of a bone
result = daz_get_parent("lHand")
print(f"Parent: {result['parent']['label']}")

# Check if node is root
result = daz_get_parent("Genesis 9")
if result["parent"] is None:
    print("This is a root node")

daz_set_parent

Set parent of a node (parenting operation).

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node to parent
  • parent_label (string): New parent node
  • maintain_world_transform (bool, default True): If true, adjust local transform to keep same world position

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Sword",
  "newParent": "rHand",
  "previousParent": null
}

Use when:

  • Attaching props to figures (e.g., weapon to hand)
  • Parenting cameras to nodes
  • Reorganizing scene hierarchy
  • Attaching clothing to bones

Example:

# Attach sword to right hand (maintains position)
daz_set_parent("Sword", "rHand", maintain_world_transform=True)

# Parent camera to figure (follows figure)
daz_set_parent("Camera 1", "Genesis 9", maintain_world_transform=True)

# Attach bracelet to forearm
daz_set_parent("Bracelet", "lForearmBend", maintain_world_transform=True)

Note: When maintain_world_transform=True, the node's world position stays the same, but local transform values (X/Y/Z Translate, Rotate) change to account for the new parent's transform.

⚡ Batch Operations

Batch operations allow you to modify multiple nodes or properties in a single call, significantly improving performance. Each operation has individual error handling, so failures don't abort the entire batch.

Performance benefits:

  • Single script call (all operations execute in one round-trip)
  • No HTTP/network overhead between operations
  • 5-10x faster than individual calls for typical batches
  • Individual error handling without aborting the batch

Common use cases:

  • Applying facial expressions (multiple morphs at once)
  • Configuring lighting setups (multiple light properties)
  • Moving/rotating groups of props together
  • Showing/hiding groups of nodes for scene management
  • Resetting multiple cameras or lights to default values

daz_batch_set_properties

Set multiple properties on one or more nodes in a single call.

Arguments:

  • operations (array): List of operation objects, each containing:
    • nodeLabel (string): Display label of the node
    • propertyName (string): Property label or internal name
    • value (float): New value for the property

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Genesis 9", "property": "X Translate", "value": 100},
    {"success": false, "node": "Missing", "error": "Node not found: Missing"}
  ],
  "successCount": 1,
  "failureCount": 1,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Setting 3+ properties, applying facial expressions, configuring scene presets.

Example:

# Apply "surprised" facial expression
daz_batch_set_properties([
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMEyesWide", "value": 0.8},
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMBrowsUp", "value": 0.7},
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMMouthOpen", "value": 0.4}
])

# Configure lighting setup
daz_batch_set_properties([
    {"nodeLabel": "Key Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 2000},
    {"nodeLabel": "Fill Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 800},
    {"nodeLabel": "Rim Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 2500}
])

Performance: Setting 10 morphs via batch is ~5-10x faster than 10 individual daz_set_property calls.

daz_batch_transform

Apply the same transform properties to multiple nodes.

Arguments:

  • node_labels (array): List of node display labels to transform
  • transforms (object): Dictionary of property names to values (e.g., {"XTranslate": 50, "YRotate": 45})

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Prop1", "applied": ["X Translate", "Y Rotate"]},
    {"success": false, "node": "Missing", "error": "Node not found: Missing"}
  ],
  "successCount": 1,
  "failureCount": 1,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Moving, rotating, or scaling multiple objects by the same amount.

Example:

# Move multiple props to the right
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Chair", "Table", "Lamp"],
    {"XTranslate": 100}
)

# Rotate and scale multiple objects
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Prop1", "Prop2", "Prop3"],
    {"YRotate": 45, "Scale": 1.2}
)

# Reset rotation for all cameras
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"],
    {"XRotate": 0, "YRotate": 0, "ZRotate": 0}
)

Note: Only properties that exist on each node are applied. Missing properties are silently skipped.

daz_batch_visibility

Show or hide multiple nodes in the viewport and renders.

Arguments:

  • node_labels (array): List of node display labels to modify
  • visible (bool, default True): True to show nodes, False to hide them

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Ground", "visible": false},
    {"success": true, "node": "Sky Dome", "visible": false}
  ],
  "successCount": 2,
  "failureCount": 0,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Scene management, testing configurations, optimizing render times.

Example:

# Hide all cameras
daz_batch_visibility(["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"], visible=False)

# Hide environment elements for character close-up
daz_batch_visibility(["Ground", "Sky Dome", "Background"], visible=False)

# Show all weapons
daz_batch_visibility(["Sword", "Shield", "Helmet"], visible=True)

Note: Hidden nodes remain in the scene but are not visible in viewport or renders.

daz_batch_select

Select multiple nodes in the DAZ Studio scene.

Arguments:

  • node_labels (array): List of node display labels to select
  • add_to_selection (bool, default False): If True, add to current selection; if False, replace current selection

Returns:

{
  "selected": ["Genesis 9", "Genesis 8 Female"],
  "count": 2,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Selecting groups of nodes for inspection or operations.

Example:

# Select multiple characters
daz_batch_select(["Genesis 9", "Genesis 8 Female"])

# Add props to current selection
daz_batch_select(["Sword", "Shield"], add_to_selection=True)

# Select all lights
daz_batch_select(["Spot Light 1", "Distant Light 1", "Point Light 1"])

Note: Nodes that don't exist are silently skipped. Returns count of successful selections.

📷 Viewport and Camera Control

Viewport control tools enable programmatic camera positioning, framing, and preset management for automated scene photography and consistent camera angles.

Key capabilities:

  • Switch active viewport camera
  • Position camera using spherical coordinates (orbit around target)
  • Auto-frame camera to show objects (calculates bounding box)
  • Save/load camera positions as presets (JSON-serializable)
  • Reusable camera angles across scenes

daz_set_active_camera

Set which camera is active in the DAZ Studio viewport.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Display label of the camera to activate

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "previousCamera": "Perspective View"
}

Use when: Switching between predefined camera angles, previewing from multiple viewpoints.

Example:

# Switch to specific camera
daz_set_active_camera("Camera 1")

# Switch back to default
daz_set_active_camera("Perspective View")

daz_orbit_camera_around

Position camera orbiting around a target node at specified angle and distance.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Camera to position
  • target_label (string): Target node to orbit around
  • distance (float, default 200.0): Distance from target in cm
  • angle_horizontal (float, default 45.0): Horizontal angle in degrees (0=front/+Z, 90=right/+X)
  • angle_vertical (float, default 15.0): Vertical angle in degrees (positive=above)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "target": "Genesis 9",
  "position": {"x": 141.4, "y": 151.8, "z": 141.4},
  "targetPosition": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 0}
}

Use when: Character photography, product shots, turntable animations, establishing camera angles.

Example:

# Front 3/4 view (classic portrait angle)
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=200, angle_horizontal=45, angle_vertical=15)

# Side view from left
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=150, angle_horizontal=-90, angle_vertical=0)

# Bird's eye view
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=300, angle_horizontal=0, angle_vertical=60)

# Dramatic low angle
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=180, angle_horizontal=25, angle_vertical=-20)

Angle reference:

  • Horizontal: 0°=front(+Z), 90°=right(+X), 180°=back(-Z), -90°=left(-X)
  • Vertical: positive=above horizon, negative=below

Distance guidelines (170cm tall figure):

  • Full body: 350-450cm
  • Portrait: 80-120cm
  • Face close-up: 30-50cm

daz_frame_camera_to_node

Frame camera to show a node by positioning at calculated distance.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Camera to position
  • node_label (string): Node to frame
  • distance (float, optional): Distance from node center in cm. If not specified, auto-calculated as 2.5x largest bounding box dimension.

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "position": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 450},
  "nodeCenter": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 0},
  "nodeSize": {"x": 50, "y": 170, "z": 40}
}

Use when: Auto-framing objects of varying sizes, consistent framing across scenes.

Example:

# Frame character (auto distance)
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "Genesis 9")

# Frame prop with specific distance
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "Sword", distance=50)

# Close-up on head
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "head", distance=30)

Note: Camera is positioned in front (+Z) and aimed at node's bounding box center. Auto-calculated distance is 2.5x the largest dimension.

daz_save_camera_preset

Save camera position and rotation as preset data.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Camera to save

Returns:

{
  "preset": {
    "label": "Camera 1",
    "transforms": {
      "XTranslate": 0, "YTranslate": 100, "ZTranslate": 300,
      "XRotate": -10, "YRotate": 0, "ZRotate": 0,
      "XScale": 1.0, "YScale": 1.0, "ZScale": 1.0
    }
  }
}

Use when: Saving reusable camera angles, sharing camera positions across projects.

Example:

# Save camera position
preset = daz_save_camera_preset("Camera 1")

# Store to file
import json
with open("portrait_camera.json", "w") as f:
    json.dump(preset, f)

Note: Preset data is JSON-serializable and can be applied to any camera.

daz_load_camera_preset

Restore camera position and rotation from preset data.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Camera to modify
  • preset (dict): Preset dictionary from daz_save_camera_preset() (must contain transforms key)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "applied": ["XTranslate", "YTranslate", "ZTranslate", "XRotate", "YRotate", "ZRotate"]
}

Use when: Restoring saved camera positions, applying same angle to multiple cameras.

Example:

# Load preset from file
import json
with open("portrait_camera.json") as f:
    preset = json.load(f)

# Apply to camera
daz_load_camera_preset("Camera 1", preset["preset"])

# Apply same preset to multiple cameras
for cam in ["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"]:
    daz_load_camera_preset(cam, preset["preset"])

Note: Preset can be applied to any camera, not just the original. Useful for synchronizing multiple cameras.

🎬 Animation System

Animation tools enable keyframe-based property animation. Set keyframes at specific frames, and DAZ Studio interpolates smoothly between them. Supports animating any numeric property (transforms, morphs, lights, cameras).

Key capabilities:

  • Set/get/remove keyframes on properties
  • Timeline control (current frame, frame range)
  • Export animations as image sequences
  • Copy and offset animations between properties
  • Inspect keyframe data programmatically

Common use cases:

  • Character animation (walk cycles, gestures, facial expressions)
  • Camera animation (dolly, pan, zoom)
  • Product turntables (360° rotation)
  • Morph animations (smile fade, eye blink)
  • Multi-character choreography

daz_set_keyframe

Set a keyframe on a property at specified frame.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label
  • property_name (string): Property label or internal name
  • frame (int): Frame number (0-based)
  • value (float): Value at this frame

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "frame": 0,
  "value": 0.0
}

Use when: Creating animations, defining key poses.

Example:

# Animate movement (0 to 100cm over 30 frames)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=30, value=100)

# Animate rotation (0 to 90 degrees)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "YRotate", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "YRotate", frame=60, value=90)

# Animate morph (fade in smile)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "PHMSmile", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "PHMSmile", frame=15, value=0.8)

Note: DAZ Studio interpolates between keyframes automatically. Setting keyframe at existing frame updates the value.

daz_get_keyframes

Get all keyframes for a property.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label
  • property_name (string): Property label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "keyframes": [
    {"frame": 0, "value": 0.0},
    {"frame": 30, "value": 100.0}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

Use when: Inspecting animations, copying keyframes, checking if property is animated.

Example:

# Get keyframes
result = daz_get_keyframes("Genesis 9", "XTranslate")
for kf in result['keyframes']:
    print(f"Frame {kf['frame']}: {kf['value']}")

# Copy keyframes to another node
for kf in result['keyframes']:
    daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 8", "XTranslate", kf['frame'], kf['value'])

daz_remove_keyframe

Remove a keyframe at specified frame.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label
  • property_name (string): Property label or internal name
  • frame (int): Frame number

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "frame": 15,
  "removed": true
}

Use when: Removing specific keyframes, editing animation timing.

Example:

# Remove keyframe
daz_remove_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=15)

Note: Returns removed: false if no keyframe exists at that frame (not an error).

daz_clear_animation

Remove all keyframes from a property.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label
  • property_name (string): Property label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "removed": 5
}

Use when: Clearing animations, resetting properties to static state.

Example:

# Clear animation
result = daz_clear_animation("Genesis 9", "XTranslate")
print(f"Removed {result['removed']} keyframes")

# Clear all transform animations
for prop in ["XTranslate", "YTranslate", "ZTranslate", "XRotate", "YRotate", "ZRotate"]:
    daz_clear_animation("Genesis 9", prop)

Note: More efficient than removing keyframes individually.

daz_set_frame

Set current animation frame.

Arguments:

  • frame (int): Frame number to move to

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "frame": 30,
  "previousFrame": 0
}

Use when: Previewing animation, rendering specific frames.

Example:

# Jump to frame 30
daz_set_frame(30)

# Render all frames
info = daz_get_animation_info()
for frame in range(info['startFrame'], info['endFrame'] + 1):
    daz_set_frame(frame)
    daz_render(output_path=f"frame_{frame:04d}.png")

Note: Scene updates to show animated state at the frame.

daz_set_frame_range

Set animation frame range (start and end).

Arguments:

  • start_frame (int): First frame (typically 0)
  • end_frame (int): Last frame

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "startFrame": 0,
  "endFrame": 119,
  "previousStart": 0,
  "previousEnd": 30
}

Use when: Defining animation length before creating keyframes.

Example:

# 4-second animation (120 frames at 30fps)
daz_set_frame_range(0, 119)

# 10-second animation
daz_set_frame_range(0, 299)

Note: Frame range is inclusive (frames 0-119 = 120 frames). Duration = (end - start + 1) / fps.

daz_get_animation_info

Get animation timeline info (current frame, range, fps).

Returns:

{
  "currentFrame": 0,
  "startFrame": 0,
  "endFrame": 119,
  "fps": 30.0,
  "totalFrames": 120,
  "durationSeconds": 4.0
}

Use when: Checking timeline state before rendering, calculating duration.

Example:

# Get timeline info
info = daz_get_animation_info()
print(f"Animation: {info['durationSeconds']} seconds ({info['totalFrames']} frames)")

# Render entire animation
for frame in range(info['startFrame'], info['endFrame'] + 1):
    daz_set_frame(frame)
    daz_render(output_path=f"frame_{frame:04d}.png")

Note: FPS is typically 30 in DAZ Studio.

🎥 Advanced Rendering Control

Advanced rendering tools provide programmatic control for multi-camera rendering, animation export, and batch rendering operations.

Key capabilities:

  • Render from specific camera without changing viewport
  • Batch render from multiple cameras
  • Export animations as image sequences
  • Query render settings
  • Automated rendering workflows

Common use cases:

  • Multi-angle product shots (front, side, top, perspective)
  • Character turntables (8-16 camera angles)
  • Animation export (frame-by-frame image sequences)
  • Test renders from multiple angles
  • Multi-camera animation rendering

daz_render_with_camera

Render from specific camera without changing active viewport camera.

Arguments:

  • camera_label (string): Camera to render from
  • output_path (string, optional): Output file path (if not specified, renders to viewport)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "outputPath": "/path/to/render.png"
}

Use when: Multi-camera batch renders, testing camera angles without disrupting viewport.

Example:

# Render from specific camera
daz_render_with_camera("Camera 1", output_path="/renders/cam1.png")

# Render from multiple cameras
for cam in ["Front", "Side", "Top"]:
    daz_render_with_camera(cam, output_path=f"/renders/{cam}.png")

Note: Viewport camera remains unchanged. Previous render camera is restored automatically.

daz_get_render_settings

Get current render settings and configuration.

Returns:

{
  "renderToFile": true,
  "outputPath": "/path/to/output.png",
  "currentCamera": "Camera 1",
  "aspectRatio": 1.777,
  "aspectWidth": 16,
  "aspectHeight": 9
}

Use when: Verifying render configuration before batch operations, debugging render issues.

Example:

# Check render settings
settings = daz_get_render_settings()
print(f"Render camera: {settings['currentCamera']}")
print(f"Aspect: {settings['aspectWidth']}x{settings['aspectHeight']}")

# Verify configuration
if not settings['renderToFile']:
    print("Warning: Render configured for viewport, not file")

daz_batch_render_cameras

Render from multiple cameras in sequence.

Arguments:

  • cameras (list[string]): List of camera labels
  • output_dir (string): Output directory
  • base_filename (string, default "render"): Base filename (camera name is appended)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "rendered": [
    {"camera": "Front", "outputPath": "/renders/product_Front.png"},
    {"camera": "Side", "outputPath": "/renders/product_Side.png"}
  ],
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Product photography, turntable renders, multi-angle test renders.

Example:

# Render from multiple cameras
daz_batch_render_cameras(
    cameras=["Front", "Side", "Top", "Perspective"],
    output_dir="/renders",
    base_filename="product"
)
# Generates: product_Front.png, product_Side.png, product_Top.png, product_Perspective.png

# Turntable (8 cameras around character)
cameras = [f"Cam_{angle}" for angle in [0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315]]
daz_batch_render_cameras(cameras, "/renders/turntable", "angle")

Note: Camera names in filenames have non-alphanumeric chars replaced with underscores. Previous render camera is restored after batch.

daz_render_animation

Render animation frame range as image sequence.

Arguments:

  • output_dir (string): Output directory
  • start_frame (int, optional): First frame (default: animation range start)
  • end_frame (int, optional): Last frame (default: animation range end)
  • filename_pattern (string, default "frame"): Filename pattern (frame number appended)
  • camera (string, optional): Camera to render from (default: current render camera)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "rendered": [
    {"frame": 0, "outputPath": "/animation/frame_0000.png"},
    {"frame": 1, "outputPath": "/animation/frame_0001.png"}
  ],
  "total": 120,
  "frames": {"start": 0, "end": 119}
}

Use when: Exporting animations, creating video sequences.

Example:

# Render entire animation (uses animation range)
daz_render_animation(output_dir="/animation")
# Generates: frame_0000.png, frame_0001.png, ..., frame_0119.png

# Render specific frame range
daz_render_animation(
    output_dir="/animation/clip",
    start_frame=30,
    end_frame=60,
    filename_pattern="clip"
)

# Render animation from specific camera
daz_render_animation(
    output_dir="/animation",
    camera="Camera 1"
)

# Convert to video (using ffmpeg)
# ffmpeg -framerate 30 -i frame_%04d.png -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4

Note: Frame numbers zero-padded to 4 digits (0000-9999). Timeline position and render camera restored after completion.

✏️ Modification Tools

daz_set_property

Set a numeric property on a scene node.

Arguments:

  • node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
  • property_name (string): Property display label or internal name
  • value (float): New value

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "value": 50.0
}

Units:

  • Translation: centimeters
  • Rotation: degrees
  • Morphs: typically 0-1 or percentage

Use when: Moving nodes, adjusting morphs, or changing any numeric property.

Example:

daz_set_property(node_label="Genesis 9", property_name="X Translate", value=100.0)

daz_load_file

Load a DAZ Studio file into the scene.

Arguments:

  • file_path (string): Absolute path to file (.duf, .daz, .obj, .fbx, etc.)
  • merge (bool, default True): If true, merge into scene; if false, replace scene

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "file": "/path/to/character.duf"
}

Use when: Loading characters, props, scenes, or any content files.

Example:

daz_load_file(file_path="/Library/Genesis 9/Character.duf", merge=True)

🎬 Rendering Tools

daz_render

Trigger a render using current DAZ Studio render settings.

Arguments:

  • output_path (string, optional): Absolute path for output image (e.g., "C:/renders/output.png")

Returns:

{
  "success": true
}

Notes:

  • Uses DAZ Studio's currently configured render settings (dimensions, quality, engine)
  • Blocks until render completes (increase DAZ_TIMEOUT for long renders)
  • If output_path is omitted, uses DAZ Studio's configured output path

Use when: Rendering the current scene setup.

🎭 Multi-Character Interaction Tools

daz_look_at_point

Make character look at a world-space point with cascading body involvement.

Arguments:

  • character_label (string): Character display label or internal name
  • target_x (float): World X coordinate (cm) to look at
  • target_y (float): World Y coordinate (cm) to look at
  • target_z (float): World Z coordinate (cm) to look at
  • mode (string, default "head"): How much body to involve
    • "eyes" - Only rotate eyes
    • "head" - Eyes + head rotation
    • "neck" - Eyes + head + neck
    • "torso" - Eyes + head + neck + chest
    • "full" - Complete body rotation including hip

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "character": "Genesis 9",
  "mode": "head",
  "rotatedBones": ["lEye", "rEye", "head"]
}

Use when: Making a character look at a specific point in 3D space with natural body movement.

Example:

# Look at point in front at eye level
daz_look_at_point("Genesis 9", 0, 160, 200, mode="head")

# Full body turn to look behind
daz_look_at_point("Genesis 9", 0, 140, -150, mode="full")

daz_look_at_character

Make one character look at another character's face.

Arguments:

  • source_label (string): Character who will look
  • target_label (string): Character to look at
  • mode (string, default "head"): Body involvement level (same options as daz_look_at_point)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "source": "Alice",
  "target": "Bob",
  "mode": "head",
  "targetPosition": {"x": 50, "y": 163, "z": 0},
  "rotatedBones": ["lEye", "rEye", "head"]
}

Use when: Creating eye contact or attention between characters.

Example:

# Alice looks at Bob
daz_look_at_character("Alice", "Bob", mode="head")

# Bob turns whole body to face Alice
daz_look_at_character("Bob", "Alice", mode="full")

daz_reach_toward

Position character's arm to reach toward a world-space point using pseudo-IK.

Arguments:

  • character_label (string): Character display label or internal name
  • side (string): Which arm: "left" or "right"
  • target_x (float): World X coordinate (cm) to reach toward
  • target_y (float): World Y coordinate (cm) to reach toward
  • target_z (float): World Z coordinate (cm) to reach toward

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "character": "Genesis 9",
  "side": "right",
  "targetDistance": 45.3,
  "bones": ["right shoulder", "right forearm", "right hand"]
}

Use when: Positioning hands to grasp objects, point at things, or reach toward targets.

Example:

# Reach right hand toward object at chest height
daz_reach_toward("Genesis 9", "right", 50, 130, 80)

# Reach left hand toward object on left side
daz_reach_toward("Genesis 9", "left", -60, 100, 50)

Note: Uses simplified IK approximation. For precise hand positioning, load artist-created pose presets.

daz_interactive_pose

Coordinate two characters for interactive poses.

Arguments:

  • char1_label (string): First character display label
  • char2_label (string): Second character display label
  • interaction_type (string, default "face-each-other"): Type of interaction
    • "face-each-other" - Position and rotate to face each other
    • "hug" - Both characters hug with arms around each other
    • "shoulder-arm" - Char1 puts arm around char2's shoulders
    • "handshake" - Both extend right hands for handshake
  • distance (float, optional): Spacing between characters in cm

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "char1": "Alice",
  "char2": "Bob",
  "interactionType": "hug",
  "applied": ["facing", "hug arms"]
}

Use when: Creating common two-character interactions quickly.

Example:

# Position characters facing each other at conversation distance
daz_interactive_pose("Alice", "Bob", "face-each-other", distance=120)

# Create tight hug
daz_interactive_pose("Alice", "Bob", "hug", distance=30)

# Bob puts arm around Alice's shoulders
daz_interactive_pose("Bob", "Alice", "shoulder-arm")

Note: These are simplified interaction poses. Fine-tune positions afterward using daz_set_property.

🔧 Low-Level Tools

daz_execute

Execute arbitrary inline DazScript code.

Arguments:

  • script (string): DazScript (JavaScript) source code
  • args (dict, optional): JSON object accessible in script as args variable

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": 42,
  "output": ["line from print()"],
  "error": null,
  "request_id": "a3f2b891"
}

Script Requirements:

  • Wrap returning scripts in IIFE: (function(){ return 42; })()
  • Global objects available: Scene, App, MainWindow
  • Access args via: var value = args.myKey;

Use when: You need fine-grained control or operations not covered by high-level tools.

Example:

script = "(function(){ return Scene.getNumNodes(); })()"

daz_execute_file

Execute a DazScript file from disk.

Arguments:

  • script_file (string): Absolute path to .dsa or .ds file
  • args (dict, optional): JSON object accessible as args in the script

Returns: Same format as daz_execute

Use when: Running complex scripts stored in files, especially scripts that use include() or getScriptFileName().

Features

🚀 Script Registry

High-level tools (daz_scene_info, daz_get_node, etc.) use the DazScriptServer script registry:

  • Scripts are registered once at startup
  • Subsequent calls execute by ID (no retransmission)
  • Auto-reregistration on 404 (when DAZ Studio restarts)

🔄 Automatic Reconnection

If DAZ Studio restarts and clears the session registry, the server automatically detects 404 responses, re-registers all scripts, and retries the operation.

🛡️ Error Handling

  • Connection failures → Clear error messages ("Ensure DAZ Studio is running...")
  • Timeouts → Actionable guidance (increase DAZ_TIMEOUT)
  • Authentication failures → Token file location in error message
  • Script errors → Full error details with line numbers and captured output

Usage Examples

Example 1: Check Status

# In Claude Desktop, just ask:
"Check if DAZ Studio is running"

# Claude will use daz_status and report back

Example 2: Load and Position Character

1. Load Genesis 9 from /Library/Genesis 9/Genesis9.duf
2. Move it 100cm to the right
3. Get the current scene info

Claude will:

  1. Call daz_load_file(file_path="/Library/Genesis 9/Genesis9.duf", merge=True)
  2. Call daz_set_property(node_label="Genesis 9", property_name="X Translate", value=100.0)
  3. Call daz_scene_info() and report the results

Example 3: Custom Lighting Setup

Execute this DazScript to create a three-point light setup:
- Key light at (200, 200, 200) pointing at origin
- Fill light at (-100, 150, 150) pointing at origin
- Rim light at (0, 180, -200) pointing at origin

Claude will use daz_execute with the appropriate DazScript code.

Example 4: Batch Rendering

Render the current scene to these output paths:
- C:/renders/front.png
- C:/renders/side.png
- C:/renders/back.png

Between each render, rotate the character 90 degrees.

Claude will loop through, adjusting rotation and calling daz_render for each output.

Troubleshooting

"Cannot connect to DAZ Studio"

Cause: DazScriptServer plugin is not running or not listening on the expected port.

Solutions:

  1. Open DAZ Studio
  2. Go to Window → Panes → Daz Script Server
  3. Click Start Server
  4. Verify it's running on port 18811 (or update DAZ_PORT env var)

"Authentication failed (HTTP 401)"

Cause: API token is missing or incorrect.

Solutions:

  1. Check DazScriptServer UI shows authentication is enabled
  2. Verify token file exists: ~/.daz3d/dazscriptserver_token.txt
  3. Copy token exactly from DazScriptServer UI
  4. Set DAZ_API_TOKEN environment variable if using custom location

"Request timed out after 30s"

Cause: Script or render took longer than the timeout.

Solutions:

  1. Increase timeout: export DAZ_TIMEOUT=120.0
  2. Update Claude Desktop config with larger timeout in env section
  3. Restart Claude Desktop after config change

"Script execution failed" or "Node not found"

Cause: DazScript error (syntax, missing node, wrong property name).

Solutions:

  1. Check the error message for line numbers and details
  2. Verify node labels match exactly (case-sensitive)
  3. Use daz_get_node to discover available property names
  4. Test scripts manually in DAZ Studio Script IDE first

Development

Running Tests

# Run all tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v

# Run specific test
uv run pytest tests/test_server.py::test_daz_status_ok -v

Project Structure

vangard-daz-mcp/
├── src/vangard_daz_mcp/
│   └── server.py          # Single-file MCP server (all tools)
├── tests/
│   └── test_server.py     # Test suite with respx mocks
├── pyproject.toml         # Project config
└── README.md

Architecture

  • FastMCP 3.x server with stdio transport
  • httpx.AsyncClient for HTTP requests to DazScriptServer
  • Script registry for high-level tools (auto-registration on startup)
  • Module-level _http_client shared across all tool calls
  • lifespan context manages client initialization and cleanup

Requirements

  • Python: 3.11+
  • Dependencies:
    • fastmcp>=2.0 - MCP server framework
    • httpx>=0.27 - Async HTTP client
  • Dev Dependencies:
    • pytest>=8.0
    • pytest-asyncio>=0.24
    • respx>=0.21 - HTTP mocking for tests

Limitations

  • DAZ Studio must be running locally (no remote DAZ Studio support)
  • DazScriptServer plugin must be installed and active
  • Single concurrent client (MCP server is single-threaded)
  • Scripts execute on DAZ Studio's main thread (operations are serialized)
  • No support for binary data (images must be saved to disk, not returned directly)

Related Projects

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas for improvement:

  • Additional high-level tools (materials, animation, viewport)
  • Better error messages and recovery strategies
  • Support for binary data (screenshot capture, texture upload)
  • Documentation and examples
  • Integration tests with real DAZ Studio instance

License

This project is provided as-is for use with DAZ Studio.

Author: Blue Moon Foundry

For questions or issues, please open an issue on GitHub.

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MCP server wrapping the DazScriptServer HTTP plugin for DAZ Studio

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mcp daz daz-studio daz-sdk daz3d mcp-servers mcp-server

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