CLIO ParaView

Community

MCP server for ParaView scientific visualization

★ 26 Stars Category · Dev Tools Popular Source revision a0bc2ef89393

53FMRS · D

This server is the official controller for ParaView within the CLIO Kit, but as it is not maintained by the upstream ParaView project, it is not official. It is well-suited for AI integration in advanced HPC scientific visualization workflows. It offers a comprehensive toolset, but proper setup may require additional ParaView dependencies.

Reliability

9/20

Security and permissions

12/20

Maintenance

12/20

Documentation

9/20

Setup experience

11/20

Read the FMRS scoring method →

This MCP server provides a natural language interface to ParaView scientific visualization, enabling loading scientific datasets, creating geometric shapes, generating isosurfaces and streamlines, slicing, adjusting rendering properties, and capturing screenshots. It is part of the CLIO Kit from the IoWarp platform but maintained by a third party for the research community. Suitable for researchers and scientists wanting to integrate AI agents into HPC scientific workflows.

Tools

load_scientific_data

Load scientific datasets (VTK, EXODUS, CSV, RAW, BP5) into ParaView with automatic format detection.

save_contour_as_stl

Save the active contour or surface as an STL file in the data directory.

create_geometric_shape

Create a geometric source (Sphere, Cone, Cylinder, Plane, or Box).

generate_isosurface

Create an isosurface visualization of the active source at the given isovalue.

create_data_slice

Create a slice plane through the loaded volume data.

configure_volume_display

Toggle volume rendering visibility for the active source.

toggle_visibility

Toggle visibility for the active source.

set_active_source

Set the active pipeline object by its registered name.

get_active_source_names_by_type

List pipeline source names, optionally filtered by type.

edit_volume_opacity

Edit the opacity transfer function for a scalar field.

set_color_map

Set a custom color transfer function for volume rendering.

apply_field_coloring

Color the active visualization by a specific data field.

compute_surface_area

Compute the surface area of the active dataset (must be a surface mesh).

set_color_map_preset

Apply a predefined color map preset (e.g., Viridis, Plasma, Cool to Warm).

set_representation_type

Set the representation type for the active source (Surface, Wireframe, Points, etc.).

get_pipeline

Get the current visualization pipeline structure.

get_available_arrays

List available data arrays in the active source.

get_histogram

Compute histogram data for a field in the active source.

generate_flow_streamlines

Create streamlines from a vector volume using the StreamTracer filter.

take_viewport_screenshot

Capture a screenshot of the current ParaView viewport and save it as a timestamped PNG.

show_screenshot_preview

Capture a screenshot with inline preview using temporary files.

rotate_camera

Rotate the camera by azimuth and elevation angles in degrees.

reset_camera

Reset the camera to show all data in the viewport.

plot_over_line

Create a 'Plot Over Line' filter to sample data between two points.

warp_by_vector

Apply a 'Warp By Vector' filter to the active source.

list_commands

List all available commands in this ParaView MCP server.

Setup

First, install CLIO Kit with uv: uv tool install 'clio-kit==2.4.3' (or latest). Then, add the MCP server to your client (e.g., Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, or VS Code) with command clio-kit and args ['mcp-server', 'paraview']. See the README for per-client configuration examples.

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paraview-mcp": {
      "command": "clio-kit",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server",
        "paraview"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Generate and validate client config

Fit and risk

Best for

Researchers in HPC and scientific computing fields
Scientists working with large-scale 3D scientific datasets needing visualization
AI agent developers wanting to add scientific visualization tools
Individuals using Python-based toolchains in HPC environments

Not for

Basic data plotting that does not require advanced or interactive ParaView features (consider the plot MCP).
General-purpose 3D modeling or rendering outside scientific contexts.
Interactive GUI-driven workflows rather than scripted automation.
Users without technical background in Python or HPC environments.

Required permissions

Runs the `clio-kit` command to access the MCP server.
Reads and writes the file system to load data and save outputs (e.g., STL, screenshots).
May interact with local ParaView processes to perform visualization operations.
Accesses environment variables and Python environments due to its Python-based nature.

Risks and side effects

May require ParaView or its Python bindings to be installed on the system; failure to do so could lead to errors.
File read/write operations could overwrite or export files unexpectedly if unrestricted; ensure appropriate permissions.
Automated visualizations can be computationally intensive (especially for large datasets), impacting performance.
As part of a third-party package, it is not officially maintained by ParaView, and updates may lag.

Troubleshooting

Ensure `clio-kit` command is accessible in PATH and verify the server name with `clio-kit mcp-servers`.
Check that ParaView and its Python modules (e.g., paraview or vtk) are installed; install if necessary.
Confirm your client's MCP configuration correctly references the command and arguments.
Inspect server output for error messages; missing Python modules or file permissions are often obvious.
Refer to CLIO Kit documentation or contact the IOWarp community (Zulip) for persistent support.

Use cases

You want to load and visualize scientific datasets (e.g., VTK or EXODUS) using natural language.

You need to quickly generate isosurfaces, slices, or streamlines to explore volume data.

You want to automate ParaView visualizations and capture screenshots in a workflow.

You wish to integrate ParaView into an AI-driven scientific computing pipeline.

Supported clients

Claude DesktopFull support

CursorFull support

Claude CodeFull support

VS CodeFull support

More servers from this repository

Related MCP servers

Compare with other MCP servers