MCP and Claude Setup

From first install to productive AI sessions in minutes.

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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.

What You Need

Standard Setup

Step 1: Install Claude Desktop

Download the Claude here: Claude Download

Step 2: 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. Install FrameworX
2. Go to Documents\FrameworX\AISetup    
3. Locate the frameworx.skill

Then, on Claude Desktop:

1. Go to Menu > File > Settings...
2. Go to Capabilities > Skills > Go to Customize
3. Click the '+' button, then "Upload a skill"
4. Select "frameworx.skill"
5. Make sure the skill toggle is set to On
6. Close the Settings window — the skill is now active for all future conversations

Step 3: Install the MCP Bundle

The MCP Bundle is four .mcpb files that install the FrameworX MCP tools into Claude Desktop with one click — no manual configuration needed.

Prerequisites: FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ must be installed first. The MCP bundle ships with the product installation.

The mcpb files are located at Documents\FrameworX\AISetup 

  Repeat this procedure for EACH of the following files:
    - frameworx-designer-mcp.mcpb
    - frameworx-console-mcp.mcpb
    - frameworx-runtime-mcp.mcpb
    - frameworx-filesystem.mcpb

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Go to Menu > File > Settings... > Extensions
  3. Click "Advanced Settings"
  4. Click "Install Extension"
  5. Select the .mcpb file
  6. Click "Install"
  7. Click "Install" again on the confirmation popup
  8. Close the Settings window — the connector is now active for all future conversations

Note: Anthropic is regularly updating the settings UI, if those steps are not found, check Claude's official documentation for the current location

Step 4: Set Permissions and Verify

After installing both files, follow the Set Permissions and Verify section below for each extension.

Advanced: Different Computers

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
• Node.js (LTS version) installed on the machine running Claude Desktop (for the mcp-remote bridge)
• Claude Desktop installed

Step 1: Start DesignerMCPHttp on the Windows Machine (Server)

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.

Enabling HTTPS for the AI Designer MCP Server (Optional)

To configure SSL/TLS security, create the following file:

%PUBLIC%\<UserName>\Documents\FrameworX\MachineSettings\DesignerMCP.json

Copy and paste the following code and edit it:

{
  "appSettings": {
    "CertFileName": "",
    "CertPass": "",
    "CertHash": ""
  }
}

Where: 

Step 2: Install Node.js on the Claude Desktop Machine (if not already installed) (Client)

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.

Step 3: Configure Claude Desktop (Client)

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": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://127.0.0.1:10150/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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/mcp",
        "--allow-http"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Save and close the file.

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

For changes to take effect, follow the Restart Claude Desktop procedure in Appendix.

Step 5: Set Permissions and Verify

After installing both files, follow the Set Permissions and Verify section below for each extension.

Advanced: Manual JSON Configuration

If the MCP Bundle does not work for your environment, or you prefer manual control, you can configure Claude Desktop by editing the JSON configuration file directly.

Prerequisites:

• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed
• Cross-platform .NET Desktop Runtime matching your FrameworX version: .NET 8 Runtime for FrameworX 10.1.4 and earlier, or .NET 10 Runtime for FrameworX 10.1.5 and later

Step 1: 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

Step 2: Paste the Configuration

Replace the entire contents of the file with the following. Adjust the runtime folder in the DesignerMCP.dll path to match your FrameworX version (net8.0 for 10.1.4 and earlier, net10.0 for 10.1.5 and later):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer": {
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Program Files\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\net8.0\\DesignerMCP.dll"
      ],
      "transport": "stdio"
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\FrameworX\\Exchange"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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.

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

For changes to take effect, follow the Restart Claude Desktop procedure in Appendix.

Step 4: Set Tool Permissions

After installing both files, follow the Set Permissions and Verify section below for each extension.

Advanced: GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

Use this setup if you prefer to work with GitHub Copilot inside Visual Studio Code instead of Claude Desktop. The FrameworX MCP tools work the same way — the only difference is the client.

Prerequisites:

• Visual Studio Code installed
• GitHub Copilot extension installed in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X → search "GitHub Copilot" → Install)
• GitHub account with an active Copilot subscription (free tier available at github.com/features/copilot)
• FrameworX Designer v10.1.3+ installed
• Cross-platform .NET Desktop Runtime matching your FrameworX version (.NET 8 for 10.1.4 and earlier, .NET 10 for 10.1.5 and later)

Step 1: Sign in to GitHub Copilot

After installing the extension, sign in using:

• The Copilot icon in the bottom-right status bar → click and follow the prompt, or

A browser window will open for GitHub authentication. Once complete, the Copilot icon in the status bar turns solid, confirming it's active.

Step 2: Configure the MCP Servers

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run:

MCP: Open User Configuration

This opens (or creates) your global mcp.json file. Replace the contents with the following. Adjust the runtime folder in the DesignerMCP.dll path to match your FrameworX version (net8.0 for 10.1.4 and earlier, net10.0 for 10.1.5 and later):

{
  "servers": {
    "FrameworX-Designer": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Program Files\\Tatsoft\\FrameworX\\fx-10\\net8.0\\DesignerMCP.dll"
      ]
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\FrameworX\\Exchange"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Save the file.

Step 3: Start the MCP Servers

After saving the file, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), run MCP: List Servers, select each server, and choose Start Server to initialize it and discover the available tools.

Step 4: Use in Copilot Chat

1. Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I or click the Copilot icon in the sidebar)
2. Switch the chat mode to Agent using the dropdown at the bottom of the chat panel

Test it: Ask "List my available FrameworX solutions" — Copilot should call list_solutions and return the results.

Step 5: Set Tool Permissions

On the first session, GitHub Copilot will ask for confirmation before each tool call. Select Allow Always when prompted for each tool to avoid repeated approvals in future sessions.

Appendix

Set Permissions and Verify

  Repeat this procedure for EACH of the following extensions:
    - FrameworX AI Designer
    - FrameworX AI Console
    - FrameworX AI Runtime
    - FrameworX File Access

Set Tool Permissions

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

1. Go to Menu > File > Settings... > Extensions
2. Find the extension in the list
3. Click "Configure"
4. Set Tool Permissions to Always Allow
5. Close the Settings window — the permissions now are set

Verify It Works

1. In Settings → Developer, verify that FrameworX AI Designer, FrameworX AI Console, FrameworX AI Runtime, and FrameworX File Access all show status "running"
2. Open a new chat and Click the '+' button, then Connectors, all four extension tools should appear in the list

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.

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.

Best Practices

Building Large Solutions

When creating a solution with many tags, devices, and displays, we recommend breaking the work into smaller steps rather than trying to build everything in a single prompt. Start by describing the full solution to give the AI context, then build each part separately. If you run out of tokens mid-conversation, start a new chat and ask the AI to review what was created so far before continuing.

Recommended workflow:

1. Describe the entire solution scope (without building anything yet)
2. Create the tag structure (UNS hierarchy)
3. Configure Alarms and Historian
4. Build the first display
5. Build additional displays one at a time
6. Continue with remaining components (scripts, reports, etc.)

Prompt Structure

For best results, structure your prompts using clearly defined sections: role, context, instructions. The example below shows a basic well-structured prompt.

Tell the AI its role (e.g., "You are a FrameworX automation engineer...")

<context>
Describe your project context: what the solution does,
which protocols and devices are involved, tag naming conventions, etc.
</context>

<instructions>
Provide step-by-step instructions for what you want built.
Be specific about naming, structure, and preferences.
</instructions>

For a comprehensive guide on prompt engineering techniques, see: Claude – Prompting Best Practices and AI Designer Best Practices.

Model Recommendation

We recommend using Claude Sonnet without Extended Thinking. Sonnet provides the best balance between speed and quality for FrameworX MCP workflows.

Troubleshooting

Quick Reference: Config Files

Change for release 10.1.5

The skill bundle filename changed. Earlier releases shipped frameworx-industrial-platform.skill. Starting with FrameworX 10.1.5, the bundle is named frameworx.skill (same location: Documents\FrameworX\AISetup).

Fresh installs — follow Step 2 above using frameworx.skill instead of frameworx-industrial-platform.skill.

Upgrading from 10.1.4 or earlier:

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Customize
2. Find the legacy frameworx-industrial-platform skill in the list, click it, and remove it
3. Click + → Upload a skill → select frameworx.skill from Documents\FrameworX\AISetup
4. Make sure the new skill toggle is set to On
5. Fully quit Claude Desktop and re-open (skills are cached for the life of the process)

Skipping the cleanup loads both the old and new skills, which can produce inconsistent behavior.

Next Steps

• Learn FrameworX step by step: Ask Claude in your new MCP session "teach me FrameworX" — the AI Tutor runs a 45-lesson curriculum from your first tag to enterprise architecture. Hands-on, adaptive, with progress tracking that survives version upgrades.
• See it in action: AI Designer In Action
• Technical Reference: AI Designer Connector
• Claude Code Integration: Claude Code MCP Setup
• Download Designer: FrameworX (free evaluation, unlimited tags, all features)