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Research · research/agent-toolkits-2026-10.md · Markdown

Agent toolkits for mechanical CAD, DFM/DFA and FEA: refresh since 2026-10-24 (checked 2026-10-31)

For Valpatel/cad-agent #96 (landscape refresh) and #94 (compliant-mechanism engineer). Extends research/landscape.md (2026-10-24); it does not repeat the KiCad or benchmark sections.

Method. Licence, stars, created and pushed dates and commit counts come from gh api repos/OWNER/REPO on 2026-10-31. Capabilities come from each README, manifest or source file as read on that day. Candidates came from gh search repos … --created >=2026-10-15, gh search code "snap-fit filename:SKILL.md" and web search. (s) means a search snippet only. (u) means unverified. Nothing was installed or run. Stars below 20 mean "new, unproven", not "bad".

1. Changes to projects already in landscape.md

Project Change since 2026-10-24 Effect on our recommendation
earthtojake/text-to-cad v0.8.0 (2026-10-27) → v0.8.4 (2026-10-30). PR #568: the "xbf engine" replaces the 0.7 file pipeline with warm workers and a Document API. The migration guide says "no authoring compatibility layer… no shims, no aliases… no codemod" (migrating-0.7-to-0.8.md). The plugin now pins cadgen==0.8.4 (claude.mcp.json). Telemetry is still on by default once cadgen has shown its notice; DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or CADGEN_TELEMETRY=0 turn it off (cli/telemetry.py). The PCB PR #518 was closed unmerged on 10-28. Issue #626 (large-STEP viewer memory) was closed as completed on 10-28. The sheet-metal unfold proposal #614 is still open Still adopt, but pin 0.7.26 or 0.8.4 deliberately. 0.7 scripts break on 0.8. Re-test the viewer with the J501 STEP. The PCB-to-enclosure path via text-to-cad is gone for now
gumyr/build123d BuildSheet sheet metal is on the dev branch: flange, bend, corner_relief, bend_relief, hem, jog, miter, thicken, and unfold to a flat pattern from thickness, K-factor and bend radius (docs/sheet_metal). First commit 2026-07-21, latest 2026-10-21. It is not in v0.13.0 (2026-09-21): the file 404s at that tag Watch; plan to adopt when released. It covers text-to-cad #614 and our sheet-metal checks
jdilla1277/agentcad v0.7.1 (2026-10-30), comments in the live viewer; 191★ No change
KittyCAD/mcp v0.33.0 (2026-10-30) No change (closed cloud engine)
pzfreo/build123d-mcp No release since v0.3.91 (2026-10-15) No change

2. New, or missing from landscape.md

2a. Slicers (process-aware loop)

Project Licence Activity What it does Security Rec.
OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 beta: Design tab with an MCP control socket (v2.5.0-beta, 2026-10-27; McpControl.cpp) AGPL-3.0 Official project; OCCT 8.0.1; kernel tests in CI (scripts/CAD/README.md) An experimental, parametric Design (CAD) tab, off by default (it came with the 2.5 alpha). McpControl is a JSON-RPC control socket for that tab only, driven by the external tools/orca_cad_mcp_bridge.py; it starts only with the CAD feature on and ORCA_CAD_MCP set, on Unix. Corrected 2026-10-31: this row first said 2.5.0 ships a general MCP server (Preferences › General › AI features › MCP server), as orcaslicer-mcp-skills describes; that setting is not in the beta tag or on main. Found 2026-11-01: it is on OrcaSlicer's feature/mcp branch, 65 commits ahead of main from 2026-10-27, by the project's maintainer, with no pull request yet: an HTTP MCP server, off by default, on 127.0.0.1:13619/mcp (loopback only), that drives the GUI including slicing and G-code export (docs/HLSD/mcp-server.md on that branch). The open draft "Mcp server" pull request (#12667) is a different, outside contributor's, with a TCP-port setting under Preferences › Developer The skills' PRIVACY.md says the server "accepts connections from that computer only". Needs a running GUI; the GUI checks need OpenGL. Beta Watch until a general MCP server ships in a stable release, then adopt as an external process (AGPL: never link). It could replace our flattened-profile Bambu CLI for slice evidence
OrcaSlicer/orcaslicer-mcp-skills AGPL-3.0 Created 2026-10-29, 5 commits, official org CC and Codex plugin: one SKILL.md and references (actions, settings, supports, calibration, cad, output) No code, no network; plugin only (PRIVACY.md). It expects a general MCP server that no release ships yet Adopt as a plugin once a release ships that server. Do not copy its text into our MIT repo (AGPL)
MaxEllis/orcaslicer-mcp AGPL-3.0 86★, v0.1.17 (10-12) Third-party Orca MCP — Skip for now: third-party, and OrcaSlicer's own MCP server, slicing included, is in development on its feature/mcp branch (row above)

2b. build123d / CadQuery agent toolkits (nearest to cad-agent)

Project Licence Activity What it does on our tasks Security Rec.
KD5RYN/b123d-print MIT Created 2026-10-17; at least 100 commits; PyPI; docs site; CI; 2★; one maintainer MCP + CLI + CC plugin. check runs: valid, overlap, overhang (bridge vs cantilever), bridge length, wall/thin (knife edges), holes (round-top horizontal holes sag), bed-edge fillet, tip-over (Orca auto-brim formula), gap/pip_clearance for print-in-place, fit, probe, mate/align (checks.md). suggest_orientation (orient.py). Examples: flip hinge, detent, overhang/bridge coupon .mcp.json pins b123d-print==0.3.2 via uvx; SECURITY.md (it runs AI-written code and can serve several users over HTTP/SSH); no telemetry hits in code search Vendor ideas / borrow checks (MIT): tip-over, round-top hole, bed-edge fillet, pip-gap. Watch for maturity
ballerabdude/agent-cad-works Apache-2.0 Created 2026-10-26, 4 commits, 1★ build123d motion sweep for collisions, single watertight solid, nothing printing in mid-air, OrcaSlicer times, fit against vendor STEP, BOM, FreeCAD exploded views, Blender renders; CC plugin; 16 tests uv sync pinned environment Watch; it overlaps cad-agent almost one for one. Compare its gates with ours
gjaloyan/print3d-designer MIT Created 2026-10-28, 13 commits Skill: measures a reference picture, builds from tested shapes, silhouette IoU ≥ 0.92 per view, slices with the user's presets, reads the G-code back layer by layer — Watch; G-code readback is a good evidence idea
SiddhuYen/eitri NOASSERTION (no standard LICENSE found) 72 commits since 10-18 Local agent: build123d, geometry report (holes, thinnest wall, knife edges, clearances), browser editor — Skip code (licence unclear); ideas only
pzfreo/step-diff-demo + pzfreo/specify-core Apache-2.0 16★; specify-core-rust 0.1.5 (2026-10-31) A STEP diff comment on every PR: named feature changes ("depth 11 → 13"), before/after picture, volume/area/bbox, and manufacturing answers carried to the new revision GitHub Action Adopt candidate for the review packet (#97 coverage, PR reviews). Trial on one product repo
naman113/Designstudio ("Buildcore") MIT 8★, 3 commits STEP → auto-dimensioned PDF drawings, grouped BOM, GLB viewer, parts catalogue (Docker) Docker compose, local port 8800 Watch
heartland-eng/bd_hardware none 1 commit, README only "Function-first hardware feature library for build123d … snap fits" — Skip (no code, no licence)

2c. Vendor MCP servers missing from landscape.md (closed CAD)

Server Status Rec.
Autodesk Fusion MCP (local; Fusion must be running) and Fusion Data MCP (cloud) Announced around 2026-04 (engineering.com; Autodesk help) Skip (closed; no Linux Fusion)
Autodesk Fusion Compute MCP Public beta, cloud-hosted, no local Fusion needed (s) (blog; the page returned 403 to fetch) Watch
PTC Onshape FeatureScript MCP Launched 2026-08-13 via Onshape Labs / App Store (press release) (s) Skip (SaaS)
SolidWorks community MCPs, e.g. soheil-mp/solidworks-mcp (MIT, 10★, created 10-23) Windows-only Skip

2d. FEA / simulation agents

Project Licence Activity What it does Security Rec.
novasolver/novasolver-studio GPL-3.0 Created 2026-10-25, at least 100 commits Local CAE with an MCP server: CalculiX structural/thermal, OpenFOAM, and a built-in quadratic-tet solver. Every result passes ran → converged → verified gates (Roache GCI mesh convergence; closed-form templates). The README lists nonlinear (plasticity, large deformation), and contact (mortar, tied) plus fatigue "0.7" with a Hertz check (README) "No account, no upload, no telemetry"; Windows download; browser demo Watch; run only as an external process (GPL). Borrow the 3-gate idea for cadagent.simulation.fea
WifiLast/freecad-mcp none 2 commits (10-17) FreeCAD FEM + gmsh + CalculiX statics; SIMP topology optimisation keeping mounting faces exact; dimension optimisation Binds 0.0.0.0:2022 by default (streamable HTTP) Skip
V0v1kkk/freecad-engineering MIT 3★, 2026-08 Skills: fdm-structural-review (cites ASTM F3489/F3529, ISO; a material-profile validator script), mechanical-strength-review, freecad-fem-check, mechanical-constraint-analysis — Vendor ideas for the compliant-mechanism agent's evidence checklist
n3r/AgentCAD fem-workflow skill Apache-2.0 7★, 100 commits, macOS-first gmsh + FEM workflow; says contact and nonlinearity are out of scope — Watch
google/feabench (archived, read-only; arXiv 2504.06260) Apache-2.0 — LLM agents on FEA problems; needs a COMSOL licence; no agent fully solved a problem (s) — Skip (COMSOL); cite as prior art

2e. DFM / DFA

Project Licence What it does Rec.
Vivek-Boora/dfm-agent none STEP → optimal pull direction, faces classed core/cavity/undercut, draft against pull, parting-line loop, Three.js view Ideas only, for the moulding checks (no licence)
shayya/dfm-agent none Claude Agent SDK + pythonOCC; "day 4", topology counts only Skip
Boothroyd Dewhurst DFM Design Review Checklist vendor PDF Process prompts (§3 of fea-and-process-tools.md) Cite; seed #97

2f. Published skills for compliant mechanisms and snap fits

Yes, several exist, all created in 2026, all prompt-only, and none with tested calculators:

Skill Licence Activity Content Quality notes Rec.
static74/3dp-compliant-mechanisms MIT Created 2026-10-26, 0★ FDM-only skill: selection table (grip-fin lids, snap-in tabs, S-bracket clips, forked detent, flexible T-slot, fluted pins, printed vs metal springs with capture rules, glue features); fundamentals.md with an orientation rule, a tagged allowable-strain table ([derived] from Bayer rules × Prusament/Polymaker yield), perimeter quantisation and a clearance table; 3 evals with graders; sources in docs/research (largely Slant 3D videos) Every number is tagged with its provenance. Its allowables are about 2× our TDS-derived values for PETG (compliant-mechanisms.md §6). No code, no FEA Vendor selectively: the selection table, eval cases and provenance-tag scheme, with attribution. Recompute the strain table
n3r/AgentCAD skills/snap-fits Apache-2.0 2026-08 Cantilever and annular sizing, L ≥ 5t, taper rule, material_strain.json (per-material %, FDM derate 50–70 % in-plane), cantilever_lid.py Some rows attributed to "Bayer 1998" (ABS 4–6 %) are not in the Bayer copy we read Borrow the JSON-schema idea; check every value
MP-AI-20/mechanical-engineering-skills snap-fits, design-for-assembly MIT 10★, one push (2026-06-09), "647 skills" Generic textbook prompts (y = εL²/1.5h, strain tables with ranges) Looks bulk-generated; few primary citations Skip
dwragon/Fusion360SnapFitGenerator MPL-2.0 Created 2026-10-24, v1.1.0 Fusion add-in (not an agent skill): 5 snap types with strain and force calculation — Reference for parameters
Kayforkind/skill-slice 3d-articulated-print-in-place · laurigates/mcu-tinkering-lab printed-mechanism · ghbalf/freecad-ai enclosure (LGPL-2.1, 601★) MIT / MIT / LGPL — Print-in-place articulation; servo mechanism clash sweep; snap-fit lid option (fixed 1 mm gap, 0.5 mm tab) Shallow on snaps Skip

No published skill or agent:

  • reproduces design-guide worked examples in tests;
  • carries process- and orientation-specific allowables from TDS (beyond static74's derived table);
  • covers flexure pivots (notch, CAFP, LET) or bistable beams; or
  • links a snap design to large-deflection FEA or to a printed coupon result.

That is the gap cad-agent #94/#95 fills.

3. Security notes for anything we might run

  • Network binding. WifiLast/freecad-mcp listens on all interfaces. b123d-print can serve over HTTP/SSH (stdio by default per its plugin config). Orca's Design-tab control socket is a local Unix socket, and the skills' privacy note says the planned general server accepts local connections only. text-to-cad's viewer has no auth on 127.0.0.1 (landscape.md).
  • Arbitrary code. Every code-CAD MCP (b123d-print, text-to-cad, agentcad, eitri) runs model scripts written by the agent. Run them in the project venv or a container, never with fleet credentials in the environment.
  • Supply chain. Pin plugin versions. Both text-to-cad and b123d-print use uvx with an exact version but unhashed dependency ranges (landscape.md §2 for text-to-cad).
  • Telemetry. text-to-cad is on by default (off with the env vars above). NovaSolver and Orca state none. The others were not audited.
  • Licences. AGPL/GPL tools (Orca, NovaSolver, MaxEllis) run only as separate processes. The Orca skills plugin is AGPL text: install it, do not copy it. Repos without a licence (WifiLast, Vivek-Boora, bd_hardware, eitri) are ideas only.

4. Recommendations

Scroll sideways to see the full diagram →

less sure

less sure

use: an OrcaSlicer MCP server (once released),
text-to-cad (pinned)

try or borrow: step-diff,
b123d-print checks, static74 skill

watch or skip: NovaSolver,
build123d sheet metal,
closed MCPs, FEABench

Diagram source
flowchart TD
    A["use: an OrcaSlicer MCP server (once released),<br/>text-to-cad (pinned)"] -->|"less sure"| T["try or borrow: step-diff,<br/>b123d-print checks, static74 skill"]
    T -->|"less sure"| W["watch or skip: NovaSolver,<br/>build123d sheet metal,<br/>closed MCPs, FEABench"]
    classDef here fill:#fffdf5,stroke:#173d3c,color:#173d3c
    classDef near fill:#eef1e4,stroke:#6f8a80,color:#173d3c
    classDef out fill:#ffe1cc,stroke:#bd3a12,color:#173d3c
    class A,T here
    class W near
# Item Decision
1 OrcaSlicer MCP server + official skills Adopt once a stable release ships the general server (external process). The 2.5 beta's control socket drives only the Design tab, with no slicing commands. The general server is on the feature/mcp branch (row 28): a pilot would mean building that branch, so wait for a release unless slice evidence becomes urgent
2 text-to-cad 0.8 Keep pinned; decide 0.7.26 vs 0.8.4 explicitly and record it in docs/toolkit.md. Keep telemetry env vars
3 step-diff (specify-core) Trial in one product repo's PRs (Apache-2.0)
4 b123d-print checks Borrow tip-over, round-top hole, bed-edge fillet, print-in-place gap as cad-agent checks with seeded-defect fixtures (#97)
5 static74 skill Vendor selectively (MIT, attribution) into skills/compliant-mechanisms/references/ after recomputing allowables from TDS
6 NovaSolver Studio Watch; copy the ran/converged/verified gate idea, not the code
7 build123d sheet metal Watch, adopt on release
8 Fusion / Onshape / SolidWorks MCPs, FEABench Skip (closed, non-Linux, or COMSOL)