Use CATIA with AI via MCP
CATIA shapes development chains in automotive and aerospace – often as a V5 installation inside the company network, increasingly through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Dassault Systèmes offers no official MCP server; community projects are available, which we operate self-hosted and connect to your environment.
What is CATIA?
CATIA by Dassault Systèmes is a high-end CAD system used above all for complex products and demanding surface modelling. It is firmly established at German automotive manufacturers and throughout their supply chains, as well as in aerospace. Alongside the classic V5 installation inside the company network, CATIA today belongs to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which can be run on-premises or as a cloud offering.
For AI scenarios the modelling itself matters less than the surrounding information: which parts make up an assembly, which revision is valid, which guidelines and standard parts are on file? Those questions arise in engineering, purchasing and quality assurance alike – and answering them currently costs time inside specialist interfaces.
Connection at a Glance
- MCP server
- Community, self-hosted (no official server from Dassault Systèmes)
- Transport
- stdio or a self-operated REST bridge
- Authentication
- Local automation in the user context; 3DEXPERIENCE via platform login
- Interfaces
- CATIA automation (COM/VBA), CAA API, 3DEXPERIENCE REST web services
- Operating model
- V5 on-premises; 3DEXPERIENCE on-premises or as cloud
- Note
- The V5 connection is bound to a specific installation
How to Connect CATIA to CompanyGPT
Dassault Systèmes provides no official MCP server for CATIA. Several community approaches exist: catia-v5-mcp-server drives the COM automation of a local V5 installation, mcp-catia works as a REST bridge secured with JWT, and collection projects such as CAD-Agent-Hub bundle bridges to several CAD systems. All of them run as self-operated servers rather than a hosted service.
For productive use we distinguish two routes. Where CATIA V5 is in place, the connection is bound to a specific Windows installation; we set it up on a system provided for that purpose inside the company network rather than on individual design workstations. Where you run the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the more robust route goes through its REST web services with platform-based sign-in – structural and administrative data lives there independently of an open CATIA session.
In both cases we run the MCP server as a container inside your CompanyGPT environment, so credentials and retrieved content stay in your tenant. Scope and tools are defined with your engineering and PLM owners; release to teams happens through roles and groups in CompanyGPT.
Note for on-premises operation: CompanyGPT runs in your own Azure tenant – so your on-premises network can be connected directly: via a site-to-site VPN (Azure VPN Gateway) or ExpressRoute between your corporate network and the virtual network of your CompanyGPT environment. The system does not need to be publicly reachable; we set up the connection together with your IT team.
Typical Use Cases
How AI agents in CompanyGPT work with CATIA
Explain assemblies
Engineering asks which components an assembly consists of and which revision is valid, and receives a structured overview instead of doing manual research.
Look up guidelines
For questions about design guidelines or standard parts, the assistant returns the recorded information from the platform with a reference to the source.
Prepare reviews
Ahead of a design review, the agent condenses changes and status information on the affected models into a short briefing for the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
CATIA and AI – the most important answers
Is there an official MCP server for CATIA?
No. Dassault Systèmes does not offer one. What exists are community projects that either use the COM automation of CATIA V5 or act as a self-operated REST bridge.
What is the difference between V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE for the integration?
With V5 the MCP server works locally against a running installation and is therefore bound to a specific system. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides REST web services that can be queried independently of an open CATIA session.
Where does the integration run?
The MCP server runs as a container inside your CompanyGPT environment. Credentials and retrieved content therefore stay within your own cloud tenant.
How does CompanyGPT reach a V5 installation in the company network?
Through a secured network link set up together with your IT team and limited to the required systems. The CATIA environment does not need to be publicly reachable.
Can the assistant modify models?
Only if you explicitly enable write tools. As a rule we configure the integration read-only, so the assistant researches and summarizes without intervening in design revisions.
CATIA and Your AI – GDPR-Compliant with CompanyGPT
CompanyGPT is the enterprise AI assistant in your own cloud tenant: all relevant AI models, your company data and integrations like CATIA – centrally managed, with roles and permissions. We set up the connection together with you.
CATIA is a trademark of its respective owner (Dassault Systèmes). Its mention describes compatibility and does not imply any partnership or endorsement. Availability and scope of the connection depend on the respective vendor.