From first install to productive AI sessions in minutes.

AI Integration | Claude Skill and MCP Setup

Together, the skill conditions Claude's behavior before the first tool fires, and MCP gives Claude the tools to act on that knowledge. The result is an AI co-pilot that truly understands the platform and builds solutions correctly from the first response.

Note: AI Runtime is a separate integration that connects AI to running solutions for live data queries and operations interactions. This page covers the Designer integration — the build-time experience. See [AI Runtime Connector](AI Runtime Connector) for runtime setup.

Looking for Claude Code? If you use Claude Code from the command line, see Claude Code MCP Setup for advanced integration options including file-based engineering without a running Designer.

Together, the skill conditions Claude's behavior before the first tool fires, and MCP gives Claude the tools to act on that knowledge. The result is an AI co-pilot that truly understands the platform, and builds solutions correctly from the first response.

Note: AI Runtime is a separate integration that connects AI to running solutions for live data queries and operations interactions. This page covers the Designer integration — the build-time experience. See AI Runtime Connector  for runtime setup.

What You Need

Requires a Claude Pro, Requires a Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan.

Any LLM with MCP protocol support can be used, ; Claude is our recommendation.

Which MCP server do I need?

You can install both. They register as separate MCP servers and do not conflict.

Step 1: Install the Claude Skill

The Claude Skill is a portable SKILL.md file that follows the Agent Skills open standard. Install it once — it activates automatically whenever you mention FrameworX, SCADA, HMI, or related topics.

On Claude.ai or Claude Desktop App

1. Download the skill file: frameworx-industrial-platform.skill
2. Open Claude → Settings → Capabilities
3. Scroll to Skills and click Upload skill
4. Select the downloaded zip file
5. Confirm it is toggled on

On Claude Code

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/frameworx-industrial-platform
cp SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/frameworx-industrial-platform/SKILL.md

Claude Code discovers skills automatically — no restart needed.

Other AI Agents

The same SKILL.md works with any compatible agent:

Step 2: Connect MCP Tools

Three connection modes depending on your setup. Pick the one that matches.

Option A: AI Designer — Stdio (Claude Code, same Windows machine)

Use this when Claude Code and FrameworX Designer run on the same Windows machine. This is the simplest setup — Claude Code launches DesignerMCP directly as a subprocess.

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed
• Claude Code installed
• Node.js (optional — for the filesystem MCP server, see below)

Configuration:

Add to your Claude Code MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\MCP\\DesignerMCP.exe",
      "transport": "stdio"
    }
  }
}

Note: The path above is the default installation location. If you installed FrameworX to a different drive or folder, adjust accordingly. Use double backslashes.

Optional: Filesystem MCP Server

The filesystem MCP server allows AI to directly read the files produced by get_screenshot and inspect_application. Without it, those tools still work but you must manually upload the resulting files into the conversation for AI to see them. All other Designer tools work independently of the filesystem server.

To add the filesystem server, include it alongside DesignerMCP in your config:

Step 1: Install the Claude Skill

The Claude Skill is a portable SKILL.md file that follows the Agent Skills open standard. Install it once — it activates automatically whenever you mention FrameworX, SCADA, HMI, or related topics.

1. Download the skill file: frameworx-industrial-platform.skill
2. Open Claude Desktop
3. Click the hamburger menu (?) at the top-left corner
4. Click Settings
5. In the left sidebar, click Capabilities
6. Scroll down to the Skills section
7. Click Upload skill
8. Browse to the downloaded .skill file and select it
9. Make sure the skill toggle is set to On
10. Close the Settings window — the skill is now active for all future conversations

Step 2: Install Prerequisites

Before connecting MCP tools, make sure the following are installed on your Windows machine:

.NET 8.0 Runtime

Required to run the DesignerMCP server.

1. Go to https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0
2. Download and install the .NET Runtime (not the SDK, unless you need it for development)
3. Verify by opening a Command Prompt and typing:

dotnet --list-runtimes

You should see a line containing Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.x.x.

Node.js (Scenario A — Same Computer)

Required for the filesystem server, which enables Claude to read screenshots and inspect external solutions directly. Without it, tools like get_screenshot and inspect_external_solution will not work.

1. Go to https://nodejs.org
2. Download the LTS (Long Term Support) version — Windows Installer (.msi), 64-bit
3. Run the installer: accept defaults, make sure "Add to PATH" is checked
4. Verify by opening a Command Prompt and typing:

node --version

You should see a version number like v22.x.x. If you see an error, restart your Command Prompt and try again.

Step 3: Connect MCP Tools — AI Designer

Choose the scenario that matches your setup. Most users will use Scenario A.

Scenario A: Same Computer (Most Common)

Use this when Claude Desktop and FrameworX Designer run on the same Windows machine. Claude Desktop launches DesignerMCP directly as a subprocess, and the filesystem server gives Claude direct access to screenshots and exported configurations.

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed
• .NET 8.0 Runtime installed (see Step 2)
• Node.js installed (see Step 2)
• Claude Desktop installed

A1. Find the Configuration File

• Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\Claude and press Enter
• Open the file claude_desktop_config.json in any text editor (Notepad works fine)
• If the file doesn't exist, create a new text file with that exact name

A2. Paste the Configuration

Replace the entire contents of the file with:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\MCP\\DesignerMCP.exe",
      "transport": "stdio"
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npxdotnet",
      "args": [
        "-y",
  C:\\Program Files\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\net8.0\\DesignerMCP.dll"
      "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"],
        "C:\\Users\\<username>\\Documents\\FrameworX\\Exchange","transport": "stdio"
    },
    "C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\FrameworX\\Transfers"filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      ]"args": [
    }
  }
}

Replace <username> with your Windows username.

The filesystem server requires Node.js. If not already installed:

1. Go to https://nodejs.org
2. Download the LTS (Long Term Support) version — choose Windows Installer (.msi), 64-bit
3. Run the installer: click Next, accept the license, keep the default install path, make sure "Add to PATH" is selected, then click Install

Option B: AI Designer — HTTP/SSE (Claude Desktop or Claude.ai, any machine)

Use this when Claude runs on a different machine than Designer, or when using Claude Desktop App or Claude.ai (the web chat interface). This mode uses HTTP with Server-Sent Events (SSE), which works across machines, across operating systems, and even across VMs.

How it works: DesignerMCPHttp runs as a lightweight HTTP server on the Windows machine alongside Designer. Claude connects to it over the network using mcp-remote, an open-source MCP-to-HTTP bridge.

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed on the Windows machine
• .NET 8.0 Runtime installed on the Windows machine
• Node.js installed on the machine running Claude (for the mcp-remote bridge)

Step 1 — Start DesignerMCPHttp on the Windows machine

Open a command prompt and run:

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Tatsoft\FrameworX\fx-10\MCP\DesignerMCPHttp"
dotnet DesignerMCPHttp.dll

Note: The path above is the default installation location. If you installed FrameworX to a different drive or folder, adjust accordingly.

This starts the HTTP/SSE server on port 4000. Leave this running — it must be started before Claude.

Important: The MCP server must be running before you launch Claude Desktop. If you restart the server, restart Claude Desktop as well.

Step 2 — Configure Claude

For Claude Desktop App, edit claude_desktop_config.json:

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "DesignerMCPHttp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://127.0.0.1:4000/sse"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tip: You can run both AI Designer and AI Runtime simultaneously by including both configurations in your claude_desktop_config.json file. You can also add the optional filesystem MCP server (see Option A above) to enable AI to read screenshots and exported configs directly.

For Claude.ai (web interface with Claude in Chrome), the same HTTP endpoint works — configure http://127.0.0.1:4000/sse as the MCP server URL.

Step 3 — Restart Claude Desktop

Close Claude Desktop completely (use Task Manager to ensure it is fully closed) and relaunch.

Network Configuration for Remote Machines

If Designer runs on a different machine than Claude (including a Windows VM accessed from a Mac host):

• Replace 127.0.0.1 with the IP address of the Windows machine running Designer
• Open port 4000 in Windows Firewall on the Designer machine
• For Mac + Parallels/VMware: Configure port forwarding to route port 4000 from host to the Windows VM — then 127.0.0.1 works from the Mac side
• For other VM setups or remote machines: Use the VM's or remote machine's actual IP address

Example for a Designer running on 192.168.1.50:

    "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\FrameworX\\Transfers"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace <username> with your Windows username. To find it, press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter, and type echo %USERNAME%.

Save and close the file.

Note: The DesignerMCP path above is the default installation location. If you installed FrameworX to a different drive or folder, adjust accordingly. Use double backslashes in all paths.

A3. Restart Claude Desktop

1. Fully close Claude Desktop — don't just close the window. Right-click the Claude icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner near the clock) and click Quit. If you don't see it there, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), find any Claude processes, and end them.
2. Relaunch Claude Desktop.

A4. Set Tool Permissions

Without this step, Claude will ask you to approve every single tool call, which breaks longer building sessions.

1. In Claude Desktop, click the hamburger menu (?) at the top-left
2. Click Settings
3. In the left sidebar, click Connectors
4. Find FrameworX-Designer in the list
5. Click Configure
6. Set Tool Permissions to Always Allow
7. Repeat for the filesystem entry — set it to Always Allow as well
8. Close the Settings window

A5. Verify It Works

1. In Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Developer
2. Verify that both FrameworX-Designer and filesystem show status "running"
3. Open a new chat and click Search and Tools — Designer tools should appear in the list
4. In FrameworX Designer, verify the orange "AI Designer" badge appears

Test it: Open a new conversation and ask "Create a new FrameworX solution with a bottling line" — Claude should immediately start building, calling create_solution and writing objects.

You're done! Jump to Next Steps.

Scenario B: Different Computers (Advanced)

Use this when Claude Desktop and FrameworX Designer run on different machines — for example, Claude Desktop running on a Mac with FrameworX Designer inside a Windows virtual machine (Parallels, VMware), or FrameworX running on a separate Windows computer on the network.

In this setup, DesignerMCPHttp runs as a lightweight HTTP server on the Windows machine. Claude Desktop connects to it over the network using mcp-remote, an open-source MCP-to-HTTP bridge. All communication happens exclusively through the MCP tools — no shared folders or filesystem server is needed.

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed on the Windows machine
• .NET 8.0 Runtime installed on the Windows machine
• Node.js (LTS version) installed on the machine running Claude Desktop (for the mcp-remote bridge)
• Claude Desktop installed

B1. Start DesignerMCPHttp on the Windows Machine

On the Windows machine where FrameworX is installed:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Documents folder: Documents\FrameworX\Utilities
2. Double-click StartDesignerMCPHttp.bat

You should see a console window confirming the server is listening on port 10150. Leave this window open — the server must stay running.

Important: The MCP server must be started before Claude Desktop. If you ever restart the server, you must also restart Claude Desktop.

B2. Install Node.js on the Claude Desktop Machine (if not already installed)

On the machine where Claude Desktop runs (e.g., your Mac):

1. Go to https://nodejs.org
2. Download the LTS (Long Term Support) version
   • Windows: Windows Installer (.msi), 64-bit
   • macOS: macOS Installer (.pkg)
3. Run the installer — accept defaults. On Windows, make sure "Add to PATH" is checked.
4. Verify by opening a terminal and typing:

node --version

You should see a version number like v22.x.x.

B3. Configure Claude Desktop

Find and open the configuration file:

• Windows: Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\Claude and press Enter. Open claude_desktop_config.json.
• macOS: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, type ~/Library/Application Support/Claude and press Enter. Open claude_desktop_config.json.

If the file doesn't exist, create a new text file with that exact name.

Replace the entire contents with:

If FrameworX is in a VM on the same host machine (e.g., Parallels/VMware on Mac — use 127.0.0.1):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer"{
  "mcpServers": {
    "DesignerMCPHttp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://192127.0.1680.1.50:400010150/sse"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Option C: SolutionMCP — File-Based Workflow (Claude Code, no Designer needed)

Use this when you want Claude Code to generate FrameworX configurations offline — no running Designer required. Claude creates JSON files in an Exchange folder, and the engineer imports them into Designer later for validation and deployment.

This is ideal for:

• Generating solution configurations from specifications or documents
• Analyzing existing projects, auditing configurations, extracting patterns
• Batch-building multiple solutions
• Teams where one person runs Claude Code and another reviews in Designer

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX v10.1.3+ installed (the SolutionMCP executable and schema DLLs ship with the installer)
• .NET 8.0 Runtime installed
• Claude Code installed

Configuration:

Add to your Claude Code MCP settings (.mcp.json in your project root, or global Claude Code config):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-SolutionMCP": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\MCP\\SolutionMCP.exe",
      "transport": "stdio"
    }
  }
}

Note: The path above is the default installation location. If you installed FrameworX to a different drive or folder, adjust accordingly. Use double backslashes.

How the file-based workflow works:

1. Claude calls create_solution or open_solution — this creates or opens a <name>-json/ folder under Documents/FrameworX/Exchange/
2. Claude calls get_table_schema to fetch column definitions, then write_objects to generate JSON files
3. Each JSON file follows the ExportFormat 1.2 envelope structure — ready for Designer import
4. The engineer opens Designer, imports the JSON files, validates, and deploys

Available tools (12):

Tip: You can install both AI Designer and SolutionMCP side by side. They register as separate MCP servers (FrameworX-Designer and FrameworX-SolutionMCP) and do not conflict. Use AI Designer when you want live co-pilot mode, and SolutionMCP when you want offline file generation.

Step 3: Set Tool Permissions (Claude Desktop)

Security Authorization

After restarting Claude Desktop with MCP installed:

1. Go to Settings → Connectors
2. Find FrameworX-Designer (or DesignerMCPHttp) in the list
3. Click Configure and set Tool Permissions to Always Allow

Without this, Claude will prompt for authorization on every tool call. Longer responses that use many tools may fail if permissions are not set to Always Allow.

Claude Code handles tool authorization differently — it prompts inline on first use and remembers the decision for the session. No pre-configuration needed.

Verify It Works

Quick UI Check (Claude Desktop)

1. Go to Settings → Developer
2. Verify "FrameworX-Designer" (and "filesystem" if configured) show status "running"
3. Open a new chat and click Search and Tools — Designer tools should be listed
4. In Designer, verify the orange "AI Designer" badge appears

Conversation Test

Start a new Claude conversation and try:

Without MCP (skill only): Ask "How do I set up FrameworX MCP tools?" — Claude should provide step-by-step instructions from the skill, not a web search.

With AI Designer connected: Ask "Create a new FrameworX solution with a bottling line" — Claude should immediately load the New Solution skill and start building, not spend a response outlining a plan.

For Mac + Parallels/VMware: You may need to configure port forwarding in your VM settings to route port 10150 from the Mac host to the Windows guest.

If FrameworX is on a different computer on the network, replace 127.0.0.1 with the IP address of that machine. For example, if the Windows machine is at 192.168.1.50:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://192.168.1.50:10150/sse"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Make sure port 10150 is open in Windows Firewall on the FrameworX machine.

Save and close the file.

B4. Restart Claude Desktop

1. Fully close Claude Desktop:
   • Windows: Right-click the Claude icon in the system tray and click Quit, or end it via Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
   • macOS: Right-click the Claude icon in the Dock and click Quit, or press Cmd + Q.
2. Relaunch Claude Desktop.

B5. Set Tool Permissions

1. In Claude Desktop, click the hamburger menu (?) at the top-left
2. Click Settings
3. In the left sidebar, click Connectors
4. Find FrameworX-Designer in the list
5. Click Configure
6. Set Tool Permissions to Always Allow
7. Close the Settings window

B6. Verify It Works

1. Go to Settings → Developer and verify FrameworX-Designer shows status "running"
2. Open a new chat and click Search and Tools — Designer tools should appear
3. In FrameworX Designer on the Windows machine, verify the orange "AI Designer" badge appears

Test itWith SolutionMCP connected: Ask "Create a new FrameworX solution with 10 motor tags and Modbus communicationa bottling line" — Claude should call create_solution, fetch schemas, and start writing JSON files into the Exchange folder.If Claude is web-searching for basic FrameworX setup information, the skill may not be enabled. immediately start building.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Quick Reference: Config Files

Quick Reference: Config Files

Claude Code skills: ~/.claude/skills/frameworx-industrial-platform/SKILL.md

Next Steps

• See it in action: [AI Designer In Action](AI Designer In Action)
• Technical referenceReference: [AI Designer Connector](AI Designer Connector)
• Claude Code Integration: Claude Code MCP Setup
• Download Designer: tatsoft.com/fx-101 FrameworX (free evaluation, unlimited tags, all features)

Community

Questions or feedback:

• Discord: discord.gg/BYhbTfyRyh
• Forum: forum.tatsoft.com