How to connect Claude to Revit, step by step

What you need

• Revit 2023–2027. Revit LT does not load add-ins, so it is not supported.
• An AI client that speaks MCP: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT / Codex, Cursor or Google Antigravity.
• AEC Pilot installed: one installer for every Autodesk application you have, free for 14 days.
• Your own AI account. AEC Pilot adds no AI fee.

Step 1: start the connector in Revit

Open a model and click Connector on the AEC Pilot ribbon tab. It starts a small server on 127.0.0.1, your machine only, and the ribbon shows Connected. Nothing runs until you start it, and it stops when you close Revit.

Step 2: run the one-click setup

Open Settings on the AEC Pilot tab and go to Setup Guide. Pick your client and click its setup button. AEC Pilot backs up the client’s configuration file, adds its own entry and leaves your other MCP servers as they were.

Step 3: restart your AI client

Close and reopen Claude, or whichever client you set up, so it reads its configuration again. The Revit tools then appear under the server name aec-pilot.

Step 4: ask about the model

Start with something you can check yourself. The assistant reads the live model and answers; then give it real work, such as tagging a view, creating sheets or cleaning up parameters.

“Which model is open, and how many levels and sheets does it have?”

If it does not connect

• The server is listed but has no tools: start the connector from the Revit ribbon.
• There is no server in the client at all: restart the client so it reads its configuration again.
• Several Revit windows are open: calls go to the one you opened first, and every reply names it. Turn on the multi-instance pool in Setup Guide to give each window its own connector.
• The port is already in use: change it in Settings, then run the setup again so the client follows.

Settings → About shows the address the connector listens on and how many tools it registered.

Decide what it is allowed to do

Settings → Tools lists every tool with a checkbox, and its Read-Only column shows which tools can change the model. Keep the readers, switch off the writers, and the assistant can answer anything and change nothing.

The code tool, which runs C# against the live model for anything the named tools do not cover, can be switched off entirely, and in Pilot Chat it can ask for your approval first.

The same steps for AutoCAD, Civil 3D and the rest

Each AEC Pilot application has its own server, so you can connect several at once: aec-cad for AutoCAD and Civil 3D, aec-navis for Navisworks, and aec-inventor, aec-max and aec-robot for Inventor, 3ds Max and Robot. The setup is the same in each.

Full setup guide · Revit MCP · All MCP guides

First requests to try

• “List the warnings in this model, grouped by type.”
• “Tag every door in the active view.”
• “Create a sheet for each level and place its floor plan on it.”
• “Set the Fire Rating of every wall on Level 2 to 60 minutes.”

Frequently asked questions

Can Claude work directly in Revit?

Yes, through an MCP server running inside Revit. AEC Pilot provides one for Revit 2023–2027 that reads and edits the live model. Autodesk’s own server is a read-only Technical Preview for Revit 2027.

Does it work with ChatGPT?

Yes. ChatGPT / Codex is set up the same way, as are Cursor and Google Antigravity, and any other MCP client can connect too.

Do I need to edit JSON or install Node.js?

No. The setup writes the configuration for you, and one small executable ships with the installer, so there is no Node.js or Python to install.

Does my model leave my computer?

The model file never does: the server runs on your machine and listens on localhost only. Your AI client sees the answers to the questions you ask, as it sees anything else you send it.

How much does it cost?

AEC Pilot is free for 14 days; after that, one licence covers all eight applications on the same machine. You use your own AI account, and AEC Pilot adds no AI fee.