What is the scientific illustrator MCP server?
The scientific illustrator MCP server is a Codex plugin that bundles three local Node MCP servers for draw.io, PowerPoint, and WPS Presentation. Upload a reference image and it rebuilds the figure with editable text, shapes, tables, and connectors, checking each panel through a design, draw, review, and correction loop before saving.
Upload a reference figure to Codex and the scientific illustrator plugin redraws it inside Microsoft PowerPoint, WPS Presentation, or draw.io Desktop using editable text, shapes, connectors, tables, and charts instead of a flat image.
The plugin bundles three local MCP servers over stdio: drawio-live, drawio-file-utils, and powerpoint-live. Codex starts them after you install the plugin and restart.
What it changes in your workflow
- A Designer step plans layout, panels, and connector lanes before any object is drawn, so the figure follows one planned reading path.
- A Drawer step builds the figure panel by panel as native objects, then a Reviewer checks structure and renderer fidelity before a Corrector fixes defects.
- Only content that cannot be redrawn, such as microscopy or complex textures, gets cropped into a minimal image, while labels, arrows, and frames around it stay editable.
- PowerPoint and WPS draw in the background on a checkpoint schedule by default, so the window is not repeatedly pulled to the front while a figure is built.
Supported backends
| Software | Platforms | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Windows and macOS | Draws an editable PPTX; Windows can draw live, macOS can use a normal working copy or a live add-in mode |
| WPS Presentation | Windows and macOS | Draws an editable PPTX working copy that refreshes at checkpoints instead of taking over the window |
| draw.io Desktop | Windows and macOS | Controls the live draw.io canvas directly, saving an editable .drawio file and exporting a preview image |
Who it is for
Best for
- Researchers and authors who need an editable scientific figure in PowerPoint, WPS, or draw.io instead of a flattened screenshot.
- Anyone recreating a published diagram, workflow, or mechanism figure who wants native shapes, tables, and connectors they can still adjust by hand.
- Codex users who want a structured design, draw, review, and correct loop instead of asking for one figure in one shot.
Not for
- When the task is mostly drawing straight onto a live Figma canvas instead of redrawing a static reference image, Figma UI MCP fits that canvas workflow better.
- If the job is mostly checking a built page against its own design graph rather than drawing a brand new scientific figure, Plumb MCP covers that comparison work.
- When you want a general local design editor for manipulating an open canvas rather than a focused scientific figure rebuild, Figmaboy MCP is the broader editor choice.
- If you need a terminal bridge that can search, audit and restyle components already open in a Figma file, Relay MCP handles that live editing job.
Connect Scientific Illustrator MCP Server for Editable Figures to your AI client
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/icebird1998/scientific-illustrator/main/install.sh | bashRun the installer
On macOS or Linux run
curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash. On Windows, run the PowerShell one-liner from the README that downloads and runs install.ps1.Or install by hand
Clone the repository, then from inside it run
codex plugin marketplace add "$(pwd)"followed bycodex plugin add scientific-illustrator@scientific-illustrator-tools.Restart Codex
Quit and reopen Codex, start a new task, and open the PowerPoint, WPS Presentation, or draw.io Desktop file you plan to work in.
Send the matching prompt
Upload the reference image, then paste the PowerPoint, WPS, or draw.io prompt from the README so the plugin picks the right backend.
Optional live Mac mode
For live object-by-object drawing in Mac PowerPoint, run the officejs-setup.mjs prepare and sideload scripts, trust the certificate, and open Scientific Illustrator Live from Insert, My Add-ins.
Client configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"drawio-live": {"command": "node", "args": ["./scripts/live-server.mjs"]},
"drawio-file-utils": {"command": "node", "args": ["./scripts/server.mjs"]},
"powerpoint-live": {"command": "node", "args": ["./scripts/powerpoint-server.mjs"]}
}
}Endpoints and ports
curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bashOfficial one-line installer for macOS and Linux from the README.codex plugin marketplace add "$(pwd)" && codex plugin add scientific-illustrator@scientific-illustrator-toolsRun from inside a cloned copy of the repository.plugins/scientific-illustrator/.mcp.jsonRegisters drawio-live, drawio-file-utils, and powerpoint-live as local stdio servers.https://github.com/icebird1998/scientific-illustratorSource repository with the README, skills, and release notes.What you can do with it
- Four-role quality loopA Designer plans layout and connector lanes, a Drawer builds objects panel by panel, a Reviewer checks structure and renderer fidelity, and a Corrector returns object-level fixes.
- Editable objects by defaultText, shapes, connectors, tables, and charts are built as native PowerPoint, WPS, or draw.io objects instead of one flattened picture.
- Atomic image fallbackOnly content that truly cannot be redrawn, such as microscopy or complex textures, is cropped into a minimal image while surrounding labels and frames stay editable.
- Background-safe drawingPowerPoint and WPS refresh on a checkpoint schedule by default, so the window is not repeatedly pulled to the front while a figure is drawn.
- Truthful WPS state reportingStates such as open_dispatched, document_open_verified, and refresh_verified are reported separately, and a missing value is treated as not proven rather than as success.
- Live Mac PowerPoint modeAn optional Office.js task pane adds object-by-object live drawing in Mac PowerPoint once a local certificate is trusted and the add-in is loaded.
- Three bundled MCP serversInstalling the plugin registers drawio-live, drawio-file-utils, and powerpoint-live as separate local stdio servers, one per backend.
Tools it exposes
powerpoint_status
Reports whether PowerPoint or WPS is installed and running, and which backend the current session is using.
powerpoint_get_capabilities
Lists which object types, such as shapes, connectors, and charts, the selected backend can create as editable objects.
powerpoint_inspect
Reads an existing deck's objects before editing so changes are based on the real current content.
powerpoint_add_connector
Adds an attached connector between two objects with explicit source and target sites for the COM and OOXML backends.
powerpoint_export_slide_image
Exports the current slide as an image so the Reviewer step can check layout and rendering.
powerpoint_audit_figure
Runs the structure check that feeds findings into the Reviewer and Corrector steps.
drawio_live_get_capabilities
Reports the live draw.io canvas's available shape and connector capabilities before drawing begins.
powerpoint_officejs_status
Reports whether the Mac PowerPoint Office.js task pane is connected for live object-by-object drawing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scientific illustrator MCP server?
It is a Codex plugin that registers three local Node MCP servers, drawio-live, drawio-file-utils, and powerpoint-live, so an AI coding agent can rebuild a reference figure as editable objects in draw.io, Microsoft PowerPoint, or WPS Presentation instead of pasting a flat image into the deck.
How do I install the scientific illustrator MCP server?
Run the installer for your platform. The macOS and Linux one-liner pipes install.sh through bash, and Windows runs install.ps1 through PowerShell, both from the README. You can also clone the repository and run codex plugin marketplace add followed by codex plugin add from inside it, then restart Codex.
Which AI coding agent works with the scientific illustrator MCP server?
The README documents installation and use through Codex, including the plugin marketplace commands and the prompts you paste after uploading a reference image. It does not document setup for any other MCP client, so Codex is the agent this plugin targets.
What does the design, draw, review, correct loop do?
A Designer plans the layout, panels, and connector lanes before anything is drawn. A Drawer then builds one region at a time as native objects. A Reviewer checks structure and a rendered export, and a Corrector returns object-level fixes. The loop repeats per region and then on the whole figure until it clears the acceptance gate.
Does it keep PowerPoint or WPS in the foreground while it draws?
No. The default focus policy is preserve, so PowerPoint and WPS update in the background on a checkpoint schedule instead of repeatedly jumping to the front. Setting focus policy to foreground is optional, for when you want to watch the drawing happen live.
Can it insert a photo or microscopy image instead of redrawing it?
Yes, but only for content that genuinely cannot be rebuilt as objects, such as microscopy or complex textures. The plugin crops that content into one minimal image and keeps the surrounding text, frames, arrows, and tables as editable objects around it.
What happens on Mac PowerPoint without the live add-in?
The plugin falls back to an isolated native OOXML working copy and labels the result as file-backed rather than live object-by-object drawing. Live drawing needs the Scientific Illustrator Live Office.js task pane, which requires trusting a local certificate and reopening PowerPoint first.
Does WPS Presentation work the same way as PowerPoint?
It uses the same editable working-copy approach, but WPS state is reported in separate fields such as open_dispatched and document_open_verified rather than inferred from a running process. A missing value in any of those fields means the state could not be proven, not that it succeeded.