vangard-daz-mcp

Version 0.4.0 | MCP Server for DAZ Studio

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes DAZ Studio operations to Claude and other MCP clients. Built on FastMCP and wraps the DazScriptServer HTTP plugin.

What Is This?

This MCP server allows Claude (via Claude Desktop or other MCP clients) to control DAZ Studio directly (at least these are the aspirational goals, not all of them are working just yet!):

Query scene information (figures, cameras, lights, spatial positions)
Read and modify node properties (transforms, morphs)
Discover and apply morphs, including searching by name pattern
Traverse and manipulate scene hierarchies (parent/child, skeleton)
Apply emotional expressions to characters
Coordinate multi-character interactions (look-at, reach-toward, hug, handshake)
Execute batch operations (set multiple properties in one call, 5-10x faster)
Control cameras and viewport (orbit, frame, presets)
Create keyframe animations and export as image sequences
Trigger synchronous or asynchronous renders with cancellation support
Apply professional lighting presets and cinematography composition rules
Browse and query the DAZ content library
Save and restore named scene checkpoints
Generate complete scenes from natural language descriptions
Create multi-camera shot sequences (orbit, push-in, shot-reverse-shot)
Choreograph animated conversations with dialogue beats
Record and replay operation macros for workflow automation
Execute arbitrary DazScript code
Access comprehensive DazScript documentation and examples

The server acts as a bridge: MCP Client ↔ vangard-daz-mcp ↔ DazScriptServer plugin ↔ DAZ Studio 4.5+ or 6.25+

Prerequisites

Before using this server, you need:

DAZ Studio installed and running — compatible with:
- DAZ Studio 4.5+ (legacy/classic versions)
- DAZ Studio 6.25+ (current versions)
DazScriptServer plugin — must match your DAZ Studio version:
- Download from: https://github.com/bluemoonfoundry/daz-script-server
- Install the DS4 build for DAZ Studio 4.x, or the DS6 build for DAZ Studio 6.x
- Plugin must be running on port 18811 (default)
- Authentication must be configured (API token auto-generated on first run)
Python 3.11+ for running the MCP server
uv package manager (recommended) or pip

Installation

1. Install uv (if you don't have it)

macOS / Linux:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

See uv installation docs for other options.

2. Clone and install

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bluemoonfoundry/daz-mcp-server.git
cd daz-mcp-server

# Install dependencies (creates .venv automatically)
uv sync

# Verify it works
uv run vangard-daz-mcp --help

Using pip (alternative)

git clone https://github.com/bluemoonfoundry/daz-mcp-server.git
cd daz-mcp-server

pip install .

# Run the server
vangard-daz-mcp

Configuration

Environment Variables

Configure the server via environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
`DAZ_HOST`	`localhost`	DazScriptServer hostname
`DAZ_PORT`	`18811`	DazScriptServer port
`DAZ_TIMEOUT`	`30.0`	Request timeout in seconds (increase for long renders)
`DAZ_API_TOKEN`	(from file)	API token for authentication
`DAZ_CONTENT_BROWSER_URL`	`http://localhost:8080`	Content browser API URL (if using a separate content service)

Authentication

The server automatically reads the API token from ~/.daz3d/dazscriptserver_token.txt (the file created by DazScriptServer).

Override with environment variable:

export DAZ_API_TOKEN="your-token-here"

Important: DazScriptServer must have authentication enabled (default). The MCP server cannot connect without a valid token.

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

Config file location:

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

macOS / Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vangard-daz-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--project",
        "/absolute/path/to/daz-mcp-server",
        "vangard-daz-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DAZ_HOST": "localhost",
        "DAZ_PORT": "18811"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vangard-daz-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--project",
        "C:\\Users\\YourName\\daz-mcp-server",
        "vangard-daz-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DAZ_HOST": "localhost",
        "DAZ_PORT": "18811"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the path with the actual location where you cloned the repo. Use --project (not --directory) so uv run picks up the project's .venv.

After saving the config, restart Claude Desktop. The DAZ Studio tools will appear in Claude's tool palette.

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global access:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vangard-daz-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--project",
        "/absolute/path/to/daz-mcp-server",
        "vangard-daz-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DAZ_HOST": "localhost",
        "DAZ_PORT": "18811"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code (GitHub Copilot / MCP extension)

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "vangard-daz-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--project",
        "/absolute/path/to/daz-mcp-server",
        "vangard-daz-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DAZ_HOST": "localhost",
        "DAZ_PORT": "18811"
      }
    }
  }
}

Verifying the connection

After configuration, ask your MCP client:

Check if DAZ Studio is running

Claude will call daz_status. A successful response looks like:

{ "running": true, "version": "1.3.0" }

If it fails, see the Troubleshooting section below.

Domain Reference Files (SKILL files)

The repository ships six SKILL files — curated knowledge documents that you can ask Claude (or any MCP client) to read before working in a particular area of DAZ Studio. They exist because LLMs have reasonable general knowledge about 3D software but will make confident, wrong assumptions about DAZ Studio specifics — inverted rotation signs, broken API methods, generation-specific bone names, and so on. Loading the right SKILL file before a task corrects those assumptions and produces dramatically better results.

How to use them

Ask Claude to read the relevant file at the start of a session or task:

Read the file SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md before we begin.

Before writing any DazScript code, read SKILL_DAZSCRIPT.md.

You can load more than one if your task spans domains:

Read SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md and SKILL_CINEMA.md — we're going to set up a portrait shot.

SKILL file reference

File	Domain	Load when…
`SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md`	DAZ Studio conventions	Starting any session — covers coordinate system inversions, camera Y-rotation being backwards, bone rotation limits, and known tool limitations
`SKILL_DAZSCRIPT.md`	DazScript API	Writing or debugging custom scripts via `daz_execute` — documents verified-working API patterns and a list of broken/wrong methods to avoid
`SKILL_SCENE.md`	Scene management	Working with scene hierarchy, content library, spatial layout, materials, or batch operations
`SKILL_ACTORS.md`	Characters & posing	Working with morphs, emotions, body language, gaze direction, wardrobe, or multi-character interactions
`SKILL_CINEMA.md`	Cameras, lighting & rendering	Composing shots, setting up lighting rigs, animating cameras, or running renders
`SKILL_DEVELOPMENT.md`	MCP server internals	Modifying or extending the MCP server itself — module layout, how to add tools, the script registry

When to load `SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md`

This is the most important file and the one most likely to save you from a frustrating session. Key things it corrects:

Camera Y rotation is inverted — positive values turn the camera left, not right. Every other 3D application does this the other way.
daz_look_at_point applies rotations in the wrong direction — always verify in the viewport and correct manually.
daz_orbit_camera_around aims at the figure's root (feet), not the face — use explicit world-space coordinates for portrait work instead.
Genesis 9 faces +Z by default — "in front of" a character is at a positive Z coordinate.
Focal distance requires true 3D distance — using Z distance alone throws portrait shots out of focus.

Available Tools

📚 Documentation Tools

`daz_script_help`

Get DazScript documentation, examples, and best practices.

Arguments:

topic (string, default "overview"): Documentation topic to retrieve

Available Topics:

overview - DazScript environment basics
gotchas - Critical mistakes that cause timeouts or errors
camera - Camera creation, positioning, and aiming
light - Light creation, types, and three-point lighting
environment - Iray environment settings and lighting modes
scene - Scene management (new, save, load, selection)
properties - Node properties, transforms, and morphs
content - Browsing and loading content from library
coordinates - Coordinate system and positioning reference
posing - Figure posing, bone hierarchy, morphs vs poses, rotation gotchas
morphs - Morph discovery, searching, value ranges, and management
hierarchy - Scene hierarchy, parent-child relationships, parenting operations
interaction - Multi-character interaction, look-at mechanics, world-space posing
batch - Batch operations patterns and performance optimization
viewport - Viewport and camera control, spherical positioning, presets
animation - Keyframe animation, timeline control, image sequence export
rendering - Rendering workflows, multi-camera, batch render, animation export

Returns: Formatted documentation with examples

Use when: Before writing custom DazScript code to learn correct patterns and avoid common mistakes.

Example:

daz_script_help("camera")  # Get camera documentation
daz_script_help("gotchas") # Learn critical gotchas

🔍 Inspection Tools

`daz_status`

Check DAZ Studio connectivity and version.

Returns:

{
  "running": true,
  "version": "1.3.0"
}

Use when: Verifying DAZ Studio is running and the connection works.

`daz_scene_info`

Get a snapshot of the current scene.

Returns:

{
  "sceneFile": "/path/to/scene.duf",
  "selectedNode": "Genesis 9",
  "figures": [
    {"name": "Genesis9", "label": "Genesis 9", "type": "DzFigure"}
  ],
  "cameras": [
    {"name": "Camera", "label": "Camera 1"}
  ],
  "lights": [
    {"name": "DistantLight", "label": "Distant Light", "type": "DzDistantLight"}
  ],
  "totalNodes": 3247
}

Use when: You need an overview of what's in the scene (characters, cameras, lights).

Note: Does not enumerate all nodes (scenes can have 1000+ nodes). Use daz_execute for fine-grained queries.

`daz_get_node`

Read all numeric properties of a node by its label or internal name.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Display label or internal name (e.g., "Genesis 9")

Returns:

{
  "name": "Genesis9",
  "label": "Genesis 9",
  "type": "DzFigure",
  "properties": {
    "X Translate": 0.0,
    "Y Translate": 0.0,
    "Z Translate": 0.0,
    "X Rotate": 0.0,
    "Y Rotate": 0.0,
    "Z Rotate": 0.0,
    "Scale": 100.0,
    "Head Size": 0.5
  }
}

Use when: You need to read transforms, morphs, or other numeric properties on a node.

`daz_get_selected_nodes`

Return the nodes currently selected in the DAZ Studio viewport.

Returns:

{
  "count": 2,
  "nodes": [
    {"label": "Genesis 9", "name": "Genesis9"},
    {"label": "Camera 1", "name": "Camera"}
  ]
}

Use when: The user has manually selected items in DAZ Studio and wants the AI to act on that selection.

🔬 Morph Discovery Tools

`daz_list_morphs`

List all morphs (numeric properties) on a node with their current values.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
include_zero (bool, default False): Include morphs with zero values

Returns:

{
  "morphs": [
    {"label": "Height", "name": "Height", "value": 1.05, "path": "Morphs/Body"},
    {"label": "Head Size", "name": "HeadSize", "value": 0.9, "path": "Morphs/Head"}
  ],
  "count": 2,
  "nodeLabel": "Genesis 9"
}

Use when:

Discovering what morphs are available on a figure
Checking which morphs are currently active
Building morph selection UIs
Exploring character customization options

Example:

# List only active morphs (non-zero values)
daz_list_morphs("Genesis 9", include_zero=False)

# List ALL available morphs (warning: may return 500-1000+ morphs)
daz_list_morphs("Genesis 9", include_zero=True)

Note: Genesis figures can have 1000+ morphs. Use include_zero=False to see only active morphs, or use daz_search_morphs to filter by pattern.

`daz_search_morphs`

Search for morphs matching a name pattern.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
pattern (string): Substring to search for (case-insensitive)
include_zero (bool, default False): Include morphs with zero values

Returns:

{
  "morphs": [
    {"label": "Smile", "name": "Smile", "value": 0.0, "path": "Morphs/Expressions"},
    {"label": "Smile Open", "name": "SmileOpen", "value": 0.0, "path": "Morphs/Expressions"}
  ],
  "count": 2,
  "pattern": "smile",
  "nodeLabel": "Genesis 9"
}

Use when:

Finding specific morphs (e.g., all smile morphs, head morphs)
Discovering morphs by category or body part
Building filtered morph lists

Example:

# Find all smile-related morphs
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "smile", include_zero=True)

# Find active head morphs only
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "head", include_zero=False)

# Find all facial expression morphs
daz_search_morphs("Genesis 9", "express", include_zero=True)

Common search patterns:

"smile", "frown", "express" - Facial expressions
"head", "face", "nose" - Facial features
"arm", "leg", "body" - Body parts
"muscle", "tone", "fit" - Body definition
"height", "scale" - Size adjustments

🌳 Scene Hierarchy Tools

`daz_get_node_hierarchy`

Get complete hierarchy tree for a node with all descendants.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Root node display label or internal name
max_depth (int, default 10): Maximum recursion depth (0 = unlimited)

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "hierarchy": {
    "label": "Genesis 9",
    "name": "Genesis9",
    "type": "DzFigure",
    "children": [
      {
        "label": "hip",
        "name": "hip",
        "type": "DzBone",
        "children": [...]
      }
    ]
  },
  "totalDescendants": 127
}

Use when:

Understanding skeleton structure
Exploring bone relationships
Mapping complex scene hierarchies
Finding all descendants of a node

Example:

# Get skeleton hierarchy with depth limit
daz_get_node_hierarchy("Genesis 9", max_depth=3)

# Get full hierarchy (warning: Genesis 9 has 100+ bones)
daz_get_node_hierarchy("Genesis 9", max_depth=0)

`daz_list_children`

List direct children of a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Parent node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "hip",
  "children": [
    {"label": "pelvis", "name": "pelvis", "type": "DzBone"},
    {"label": "lThighBend", "name": "lThighBend", "type": "DzBone"},
    {"label": "rThighBend", "name": "rThighBend", "type": "DzBone"}
  ],
  "count": 3
}

Use when:

Exploring hierarchy one level at a time
Checking if a node has children
Building custom tree structures

Example:

# List children of Genesis 9 root
daz_list_children("Genesis 9")

# Check if node has children
result = daz_list_children("Camera 1")
if result["count"] == 0:
    print("No children")

`daz_get_parent`

Get parent node of a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Child node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "lHand",
  "parent": {
    "label": "lForearmBend",
    "name": "lForearmBend",
    "type": "DzBone"
  }
}

Returns null for parent if node is a root (no parent).

Use when:

Traversing hierarchy upward
Finding what contains a node
Checking if node is a root

Example:

# Get parent of a bone
result = daz_get_parent("lHand")
print(f"Parent: {result['parent']['label']}")

# Check if node is root
result = daz_get_parent("Genesis 9")
if result["parent"] is None:
    print("This is a root node")

`daz_set_parent`

Set parent of a node (parenting operation).

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node to parent
parent_label (string): New parent node
maintain_world_transform (bool, default True): If true, adjust local transform to keep same world position

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Sword",
  "newParent": "rHand",
  "previousParent": null
}

Use when:

Attaching props to figures (e.g., weapon to hand)
Parenting cameras to nodes
Reorganizing scene hierarchy
Attaching clothing to bones

Example:

# Attach sword to right hand (maintains position)
daz_set_parent("Sword", "rHand", maintain_world_transform=True)

# Parent camera to figure (follows figure)
daz_set_parent("Camera 1", "Genesis 9", maintain_world_transform=True)

# Attach bracelet to forearm
daz_set_parent("Bracelet", "lForearmBend", maintain_world_transform=True)

Note: When maintain_world_transform=True, the node's world position stays the same, but local transform values (X/Y/Z Translate, Rotate) change to account for the new parent's transform.

⚡ Batch Operations

Batch operations allow you to modify multiple nodes or properties in a single call, significantly improving performance. Each operation has individual error handling, so failures don't abort the entire batch.

Performance benefits:

Single script call (all operations execute in one round-trip)
No HTTP/network overhead between operations
5-10x faster than individual calls for typical batches
Individual error handling without aborting the batch

Common use cases:

Applying facial expressions (multiple morphs at once)
Configuring lighting setups (multiple light properties)
Moving/rotating groups of props together
Showing/hiding groups of nodes for scene management
Resetting multiple cameras or lights to default values

`daz_batch_set_properties`

Set multiple properties on one or more nodes in a single call.

Arguments:

operations (array): List of operation objects, each containing:
- nodeLabel (string): Display label of the node
- propertyName (string): Property label or internal name
- value (float): New value for the property

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Genesis 9", "property": "X Translate", "value": 100},
    {"success": false, "node": "Missing", "error": "Node not found: Missing"}
  ],
  "successCount": 1,
  "failureCount": 1,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Setting 3+ properties, applying facial expressions, configuring scene presets.

Example:

# Apply "surprised" facial expression
daz_batch_set_properties([
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMEyesWide", "value": 0.8},
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMBrowsUp", "value": 0.7},
    {"nodeLabel": "Genesis 9", "propertyName": "PHMMouthOpen", "value": 0.4}
])

# Configure lighting setup
daz_batch_set_properties([
    {"nodeLabel": "Key Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 2000},
    {"nodeLabel": "Fill Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 800},
    {"nodeLabel": "Rim Light", "propertyName": "Flux", "value": 2500}
])

Performance: Setting 10 morphs via batch is ~5-10x faster than 10 individual daz_set_property calls.

`daz_batch_transform`

Apply the same transform properties to multiple nodes.

Arguments:

node_labels (array): List of node display labels to transform
transforms (object): Dictionary of property names to values (e.g., {"XTranslate": 50, "YRotate": 45})

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Prop1", "applied": ["X Translate", "Y Rotate"]},
    {"success": false, "node": "Missing", "error": "Node not found: Missing"}
  ],
  "successCount": 1,
  "failureCount": 1,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Moving, rotating, or scaling multiple objects by the same amount.

Example:

# Move multiple props to the right
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Chair", "Table", "Lamp"],
    {"XTranslate": 100}
)

# Rotate and scale multiple objects
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Prop1", "Prop2", "Prop3"],
    {"YRotate": 45, "Scale": 1.2}
)

# Reset rotation for all cameras
daz_batch_transform(
    ["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"],
    {"XRotate": 0, "YRotate": 0, "ZRotate": 0}
)

Note: Only properties that exist on each node are applied. Missing properties are silently skipped.

`daz_batch_visibility`

Show or hide multiple nodes in the viewport and renders.

Arguments:

node_labels (array): List of node display labels to modify
visible (bool, default True): True to show nodes, False to hide them

Returns:

{
  "results": [
    {"success": true, "node": "Ground", "visible": false},
    {"success": true, "node": "Sky Dome", "visible": false}
  ],
  "successCount": 2,
  "failureCount": 0,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Scene management, testing configurations, optimizing render times.

Example:

# Hide all cameras
daz_batch_visibility(["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"], visible=False)

# Hide environment elements for character close-up
daz_batch_visibility(["Ground", "Sky Dome", "Background"], visible=False)

# Show all weapons
daz_batch_visibility(["Sword", "Shield", "Helmet"], visible=True)

Note: Hidden nodes remain in the scene but are not visible in viewport or renders.

`daz_batch_select`

Select multiple nodes in the DAZ Studio scene.

Arguments:

node_labels (array): List of node display labels to select
add_to_selection (bool, default False): If True, add to current selection; if False, replace current selection

Returns:

{
  "selected": ["Genesis 9", "Genesis 8 Female"],
  "count": 2,
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Selecting groups of nodes for inspection or operations.

Example:

# Select multiple characters
daz_batch_select(["Genesis 9", "Genesis 8 Female"])

# Add props to current selection
daz_batch_select(["Sword", "Shield"], add_to_selection=True)

# Select all lights
daz_batch_select(["Spot Light 1", "Distant Light 1", "Point Light 1"])

Note: Nodes that don't exist are silently skipped. Returns count of successful selections.

📷 Viewport and Camera Control

Viewport control tools enable programmatic camera positioning, framing, and preset management for automated scene photography and consistent camera angles.

Key capabilities:

Switch active viewport camera
Position camera using spherical coordinates (orbit around target)
Auto-frame camera to show objects (calculates bounding box)
Save/load camera positions as presets (JSON-serializable)
Reusable camera angles across scenes

`daz_set_active_camera`

Set which camera is active in the DAZ Studio viewport.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Display label of the camera to activate

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "previousCamera": "Perspective View"
}

Use when: Switching between predefined camera angles, previewing from multiple viewpoints.

Example:

# Switch to specific camera
daz_set_active_camera("Camera 1")

# Switch back to default
daz_set_active_camera("Perspective View")

`daz_orbit_camera_around`

Position camera orbiting around a target node at specified angle and distance.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to position
target_label (string): Target node to orbit around
distance (float, default 200.0): Distance from target in cm
angle_horizontal (float, default 45.0): Horizontal angle in degrees (0=front/+Z, 90=right/+X)
angle_vertical (float, default 15.0): Vertical angle in degrees (positive=above)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "target": "Genesis 9",
  "position": {"x": 141.4, "y": 151.8, "z": 141.4},
  "targetPosition": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 0}
}

Use when: Character photography, product shots, turntable animations, establishing camera angles.

Example:

# Front 3/4 view (classic portrait angle)
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=200, angle_horizontal=45, angle_vertical=15)

# Side view from left
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=150, angle_horizontal=-90, angle_vertical=0)

# Bird's eye view
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=300, angle_horizontal=0, angle_vertical=60)

# Dramatic low angle
daz_orbit_camera_around("Camera 1", "Genesis 9",
                        distance=180, angle_horizontal=25, angle_vertical=-20)

Angle reference:

Horizontal: 0°=front(+Z), 90°=right(+X), 180°=back(-Z), -90°=left(-X)
Vertical: positive=above horizon, negative=below

Distance guidelines (170cm tall figure):

Full body: 350-450cm
Portrait: 80-120cm
Face close-up: 30-50cm

`daz_frame_camera_to_node`

Frame camera to show a node by positioning at calculated distance.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to position
node_label (string): Node to frame
distance (float, optional): Distance from node center in cm. If not specified, auto-calculated as 2.5x largest bounding box dimension.

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "position": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 450},
  "nodeCenter": {"x": 0, "y": 100, "z": 0},
  "nodeSize": {"x": 50, "y": 170, "z": 40}
}

Use when: Auto-framing objects of varying sizes, consistent framing across scenes.

Example:

# Frame character (auto distance)
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "Genesis 9")

# Frame prop with specific distance
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "Sword", distance=50)

# Close-up on head
daz_frame_camera_to_node("Camera 1", "head", distance=30)

Note: Camera is positioned in front (+Z) and aimed at node's bounding box center. Auto-calculated distance is 2.5x the largest dimension.

`daz_save_camera_preset`

Save camera position and rotation as preset data.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to save

Returns:

{
  "preset": {
    "label": "Camera 1",
    "transforms": {
      "XTranslate": 0, "YTranslate": 100, "ZTranslate": 300,
      "XRotate": -10, "YRotate": 0, "ZRotate": 0,
      "XScale": 1.0, "YScale": 1.0, "ZScale": 1.0
    }
  }
}

Use when: Saving reusable camera angles, sharing camera positions across projects.

Example:

# Save camera position
preset = daz_save_camera_preset("Camera 1")

# Store to file
import json
with open("portrait_camera.json", "w") as f:
    json.dump(preset, f)

Note: Preset data is JSON-serializable and can be applied to any camera.

`daz_load_camera_preset`

Restore camera position and rotation from preset data.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to modify
preset (dict): Preset dictionary from daz_save_camera_preset() (must contain transforms key)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "applied": ["XTranslate", "YTranslate", "ZTranslate", "XRotate", "YRotate", "ZRotate"]
}

Use when: Restoring saved camera positions, applying same angle to multiple cameras.

Example:

# Load preset from file
import json
with open("portrait_camera.json") as f:
    preset = json.load(f)

# Apply to camera
daz_load_camera_preset("Camera 1", preset["preset"])

# Apply same preset to multiple cameras
for cam in ["Camera 1", "Camera 2", "Camera 3"]:
    daz_load_camera_preset(cam, preset["preset"])

Note: Preset can be applied to any camera, not just the original. Useful for synchronizing multiple cameras.

`daz_list_cameras`

List all cameras currently in the scene.

Returns:

{
  "camera_count": 2,
  "cameras": [
    {"name": "Camera", "label": "Camera 1", "focal_length": 65.0},
    {"name": "Camera2", "label": "Wide Shot", "focal_length": 35.0}
  ]
}

Use when: Discovering what cameras exist before calling daz_set_active_camera or daz_render_with_camera.

`daz_create_camera`

Create a new camera and add it to the scene.

Arguments:

label (string): Display name for the new camera
x, y, z (float): World-space position in cm (defaults: 0, 150, 300)
aim_at_label (string, optional): Aim the camera at this node's centre
focal_length (float, optional): Lens focal length in mm

Returns:

{
  "label": "Close-up Cam",
  "position": {"x": 0, "y": 160, "z": 120},
  "focal_length": 85.0
}

Example:

daz_create_camera("Close-up Cam", x=0, y=160, z=120,
                  aim_at_label="Genesis 9", focal_length=85)

Note: Use daz_list_cameras to confirm the camera was added, and daz_set_active_camera to switch the active viewport.

🎬 Animation System

Animation tools enable keyframe-based property animation. Set keyframes at specific frames, and DAZ Studio interpolates smoothly between them. Supports animating any numeric property (transforms, morphs, lights, cameras).

Key capabilities:

Set/get/remove keyframes on properties
Timeline control (current frame, frame range)
Export animations as image sequences
Copy and offset animations between properties
Inspect keyframe data programmatically

Common use cases:

Character animation (walk cycles, gestures, facial expressions)
Camera animation (dolly, pan, zoom)
Product turntables (360° rotation)
Morph animations (smile fade, eye blink)
Multi-character choreography

`daz_set_keyframe`

Set a keyframe on a property at specified frame.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
property_name (string): Property label or internal name
frame (int): Frame number (0-based)
value (float): Value at this frame

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "frame": 0,
  "value": 0.0
}

Use when: Creating animations, defining key poses.

Example:

# Animate movement (0 to 100cm over 30 frames)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=30, value=100)

# Animate rotation (0 to 90 degrees)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "YRotate", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "YRotate", frame=60, value=90)

# Animate morph (fade in smile)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "PHMSmile", frame=0, value=0)
daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 9", "PHMSmile", frame=15, value=0.8)

Note: DAZ Studio interpolates between keyframes automatically. Setting keyframe at existing frame updates the value.

`daz_get_keyframes`

Get all keyframes for a property.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
property_name (string): Property label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "keyframes": [
    {"frame": 0, "value": 0.0},
    {"frame": 30, "value": 100.0}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

Use when: Inspecting animations, copying keyframes, checking if property is animated.

Example:

# Get keyframes
result = daz_get_keyframes("Genesis 9", "XTranslate")
for kf in result['keyframes']:
    print(f"Frame {kf['frame']}: {kf['value']}")

# Copy keyframes to another node
for kf in result['keyframes']:
    daz_set_keyframe("Genesis 8", "XTranslate", kf['frame'], kf['value'])

`daz_remove_keyframe`

Remove a keyframe at specified frame.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
property_name (string): Property label or internal name
frame (int): Frame number

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "frame": 15,
  "removed": true
}

Use when: Removing specific keyframes, editing animation timing.

Example:

# Remove keyframe
daz_remove_keyframe("Genesis 9", "XTranslate", frame=15)

Note: Returns removed: false if no keyframe exists at that frame (not an error).

`daz_clear_animation`

Remove all keyframes from a property.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
property_name (string): Property label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "removed": 5
}

Use when: Clearing animations, resetting properties to static state.

Example:

# Clear animation
result = daz_clear_animation("Genesis 9", "XTranslate")
print(f"Removed {result['removed']} keyframes")

# Clear all transform animations
for prop in ["XTranslate", "YTranslate", "ZTranslate", "XRotate", "YRotate", "ZRotate"]:
    daz_clear_animation("Genesis 9", prop)

Note: More efficient than removing keyframes individually.

`daz_set_frame`

Set current animation frame.

Arguments:

frame (int): Frame number to move to

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "frame": 30,
  "previousFrame": 0
}

Use when: Previewing animation, rendering specific frames.

Example:

# Jump to frame 30
daz_set_frame(30)

# Render all frames
info = daz_get_animation_info()
for frame in range(info['startFrame'], info['endFrame'] + 1):
    daz_set_frame(frame)
    daz_render(output_path=f"frame_{frame:04d}.png")

Note: Scene updates to show animated state at the frame.

`daz_set_frame_range`

Set animation frame range (start and end).

Arguments:

start_frame (int): First frame (typically 0)
end_frame (int): Last frame

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "startFrame": 0,
  "endFrame": 119,
  "previousStart": 0,
  "previousEnd": 30
}

Use when: Defining animation length before creating keyframes.

Example:

# 4-second animation (120 frames at 30fps)
daz_set_frame_range(0, 119)

# 10-second animation
daz_set_frame_range(0, 299)

Note: Frame range is inclusive (frames 0-119 = 120 frames). Duration = (end - start + 1) / fps.

`daz_get_animation_info`

Get animation timeline info (current frame, range, fps).

Returns:

{
  "currentFrame": 0,
  "startFrame": 0,
  "endFrame": 119,
  "fps": 30.0,
  "totalFrames": 120,
  "durationSeconds": 4.0
}

Use when: Checking timeline state before rendering, calculating duration.

Example:

# Get timeline info
info = daz_get_animation_info()
print(f"Animation: {info['durationSeconds']} seconds ({info['totalFrames']} frames)")

# Render entire animation
for frame in range(info['startFrame'], info['endFrame'] + 1):
    daz_set_frame(frame)
    daz_render(output_path=f"frame_{frame:04d}.png")

Note: FPS is typically 30 in DAZ Studio.

🎥 Advanced Rendering Control

Advanced rendering tools provide programmatic control for multi-camera rendering, animation export, and batch rendering operations.

Key capabilities:

Render from specific camera without changing viewport
Batch render from multiple cameras
Export animations as image sequences
Query render settings
Automated rendering workflows

Common use cases:

Multi-angle product shots (front, side, top, perspective)
Character turntables (8-16 camera angles)
Animation export (frame-by-frame image sequences)
Test renders from multiple angles
Multi-camera animation rendering

`daz_render_with_camera`

Render from specific camera without changing active viewport camera.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to render from
output_path (string, optional): Output file path (if not specified, renders to viewport)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "outputPath": "/path/to/render.png"
}

Use when: Multi-camera batch renders, testing camera angles without disrupting viewport.

Example:

# Render from specific camera
daz_render_with_camera("Camera 1", output_path="/renders/cam1.png")

# Render from multiple cameras
for cam in ["Front", "Side", "Top"]:
    daz_render_with_camera(cam, output_path=f"/renders/{cam}.png")

Note: Viewport camera remains unchanged. Previous render camera is restored automatically.

`daz_get_render_settings`

Get current render settings and configuration.

Returns:

{
  "renderToFile": true,
  "outputPath": "/path/to/output.png",
  "currentCamera": "Camera 1",
  "aspectRatio": 1.777,
  "aspectWidth": 16,
  "aspectHeight": 9
}

Use when: Verifying render configuration before batch operations, debugging render issues.

Example:

# Check render settings
settings = daz_get_render_settings()
print(f"Render camera: {settings['currentCamera']}")
print(f"Aspect: {settings['aspectWidth']}x{settings['aspectHeight']}")

# Verify configuration
if not settings['renderToFile']:
    print("Warning: Render configured for viewport, not file")

`daz_batch_render_cameras`

Render from multiple cameras in sequence.

Arguments:

cameras (list[string]): List of camera labels
output_dir (string): Output directory
base_filename (string, default "render"): Base filename (camera name is appended)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "rendered": [
    {"camera": "Front", "outputPath": "/renders/product_Front.png"},
    {"camera": "Side", "outputPath": "/renders/product_Side.png"}
  ],
  "total": 2
}

Use when: Product photography, turntable renders, multi-angle test renders.

Example:

# Render from multiple cameras
daz_batch_render_cameras(
    cameras=["Front", "Side", "Top", "Perspective"],
    output_dir="/renders",
    base_filename="product"
)
# Generates: product_Front.png, product_Side.png, product_Top.png, product_Perspective.png

# Turntable (8 cameras around character)
cameras = [f"Cam_{angle}" for angle in [0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315]]
daz_batch_render_cameras(cameras, "/renders/turntable", "angle")

Note: Camera names in filenames have non-alphanumeric chars replaced with underscores. Previous render camera is restored after batch.

`daz_render_animation`

Render animation frame range as image sequence.

Arguments:

output_dir (string): Output directory
start_frame (int, optional): First frame (default: animation range start)
end_frame (int, optional): Last frame (default: animation range end)
filename_pattern (string, default "frame"): Filename pattern (frame number appended)
camera (string, optional): Camera to render from (default: current render camera)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "rendered": [
    {"frame": 0, "outputPath": "/animation/frame_0000.png"},
    {"frame": 1, "outputPath": "/animation/frame_0001.png"}
  ],
  "total": 120,
  "frames": {"start": 0, "end": 119}
}

Use when: Exporting animations, creating video sequences.

Example:

# Render entire animation (uses animation range)
daz_render_animation(output_dir="/animation")
# Generates: frame_0000.png, frame_0001.png, ..., frame_0119.png

# Render specific frame range
daz_render_animation(
    output_dir="/animation/clip",
    start_frame=30,
    end_frame=60,
    filename_pattern="clip"
)

# Render animation from specific camera
daz_render_animation(
    output_dir="/animation",
    camera="Camera 1"
)

# Convert to video (using ffmpeg)
# ffmpeg -framerate 30 -i frame_%04d.png -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4

Note: Frame numbers zero-padded to 4 digits (0000-9999). Timeline position and render camera restored after completion.

📐 Spatial Query Tools

These tools let you query the world-space position, size, and relationships of scene nodes.

`daz_get_world_position`

Get world-space position, local position, rotation, and scale of a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "worldPosition": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
  "localPosition": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
  "rotation": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
  "scale": {"x": 1, "y": 1, "z": 1}
}

Use when: Finding exact world coordinates of a character or prop before placing another object relative to it.

`daz_get_bounding_box`

Get bounding box (min/max corners, center, dimensions) of a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "min": {"x": -30, "y": 0, "z": -15},
  "max": {"x": 30, "y": 170, "z": 15},
  "center": {"x": 0, "y": 85, "z": 0},
  "width": 60, "height": 170, "depth": 30
}

Use when: Auto-framing cameras, checking object sizes, placing objects on surfaces.

`daz_calculate_distance`

Calculate distance and direction vector between two nodes.

Arguments:

from_label (string): Source node
to_label (string): Target node

Returns:

{
  "from": "Alice",
  "to": "Bob",
  "distance": 120.5,
  "direction": {"x": 0.707, "y": 0, "z": 0.707}
}

Use when: Checking if two characters are within interaction range, positioning props relative to figures.

`daz_get_spatial_relationship`

Natural-language spatial relationship between two nodes.

Arguments:

from_label (string): Reference node
to_label (string): Target node

Returns:

{
  "from": "Camera 1",
  "to": "Genesis 9",
  "distance": 300.0,
  "direction": "in front of",
  "angle": 5.2,
  "overlap": false
}

Use when: Describing scene layout in natural language, verifying camera placement.

`daz_check_overlap`

Check if two nodes have overlapping bounding boxes.

Arguments:

node1_label (string): First node
node2_label (string): Second node

Returns:

{
  "overlapping": true,
  "penetrationDepth": {"x": 2.1, "y": 0, "z": 0}
}

Use when: Detecting interpenetration between characters, validating poses before rendering.

🔬 Property Introspection Tools

`daz_inspect_properties`

List all properties on a node, optionally filtered by type.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
filter_type (string, default "all"): One of "all", "numeric", "transform", "morph", "bool", "string"

Returns:

{
  "node": "Spot Light 1",
  "properties": [
    {"label": "Flux", "name": "Flux", "type": "numeric", "value": 1500},
    {"label": "Shadow Softness", "name": "Shadow Softness", "type": "numeric", "value": 0.5}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

Use when: Discovering what properties are settable on a node (lights, cameras, props).

Example:

# List all numeric properties on a spotlight
daz_inspect_properties("Spot Light 1", filter_type="numeric")

# List transform properties only
daz_inspect_properties("Genesis 9", filter_type="transform")

`daz_get_property_metadata`

Get detailed metadata (min, max, default, type, path) for a single property.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
property_name (string): Property label or internal name

Returns:

{
  "node": "Spot Light 1",
  "property": "Flux",
  "type": "numeric",
  "value": 1500,
  "default": 1500,
  "min": 0,
  "max": 100000,
  "path": "General/Luminous Flux"
}

Use when: Finding valid ranges before setting a property, validating property names.

`daz_validate_script`

Static analysis of DazScript code for known anti-patterns. Does not require a DAZ Studio connection.

Arguments:

script (string): DazScript source code to analyze

Returns:

{
  "valid": false,
  "issues": [
    {"severity": "error", "line": 3, "message": "Bare return at top level — wrap in IIFE"},
    {"severity": "warning", "line": 7, "message": "getElementID() is not a function — use .elementID property"}
  ],
  "issueCount": 2
}

Use when: Before running a custom script via daz_execute, to catch common mistakes early.

💡 Lighting Preset Tools

`daz_apply_lighting_preset`

Create a professional lighting setup in one command.

Arguments:

preset (string): Lighting preset name
subject_label (string): Node to light (preset positions lights relative to subject's bounding box)

Presets:

three-point — Key (front-right) + Fill (front-left) + Rim (back). General-purpose.
rembrandt — Key (45° side, high) + dim Fill. Dramatic portrait.
butterfly — Key (directly front, high). Glamour/beauty lighting.
split — Key (90° side). Half face lit, half in shadow. Moody.
loop — Key (35° side) + Fill + Rim. Natural-looking portrait.

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "preset": "three-point",
  "subject": "Genesis 9",
  "lights": ["Key Light", "Fill Light", "Rim Light"]
}

All presets: aim lights at the subject's face height, set environment mode to Scene Only, and remove existing lights with the same names first.

Use when: Setting up a scene for rendering without manually positioning individual lights.

Example:

# Classic portrait lighting
daz_apply_lighting_preset("three-point", "Genesis 9")

# Dramatic moody lighting
daz_apply_lighting_preset("rembrandt", "Genesis 9")

`daz_validate_scene`

Validate scene quality for rendering — checks lighting, cameras, collisions.

Returns:

{
  "score": 75,
  "issues": [
    {"category": "lighting", "severity": "medium", "message": "Only one light source — consider adding fill or rim light"},
    {"category": "collision", "severity": "high", "message": "Alice and Bob bounding boxes overlap by 5cm"}
  ],
  "breakdown": {
    "lighting": 60,
    "cameras": 100,
    "figures": 100,
    "collisions": 50
  }
}

Score: 0-100. Issues reduce the score. Checks: bounding box collisions between figures, insufficient lighting, no cameras, no figures.

Use when: Before rendering to catch common setup problems.

`daz_list_lights`

List all lights currently in the scene.

Returns:

{
  "light_count": 3,
  "lights": [
    {"name": "SpotLight", "label": "Key Light", "intensity": 10000, "shadow_type": "Raytraced"},
    {"name": "DistantLight", "label": "Sun", "intensity": 5000, "shadow_type": "None"}
  ]
}

Use when: Checking what lights exist before modifying or deleting them.

`daz_create_light`

Create a new light and add it to the scene.

Arguments:

light_type (string): "spot", "distant", or "point"
label (string): Display name for the new light
x, y, z (float): World-space position in cm (defaults: 0, 200, 200)
flux (float, optional): Light intensity in DAZ flux units
aim_at_label (string, optional): Aim the light at this node's centre

Returns:

{
  "label": "Key Light",
  "type": "spot",
  "position": {"x": 150, "y": 250, "z": 200},
  "flux": 10000
}

Example:

daz_create_light("spot", "Key Light", x=150, y=250, z=200,
                 flux=10000, aim_at_label="Genesis 9")

Note: For complete multi-light setups use daz_apply_lighting_preset or daz_apply_visual_style instead.

`daz_set_scene_atmosphere`

Configure the DAZ Studio environment node (HDRI dome, Sun-Sky, ambient lighting).

Arguments:

environment_mode (int, optional): 0=Sun-Sky Only, 1=Dome Only, 2=Sun-Sky+Dome, 3=Scene Only (use 3 when relying on scene lights)
environment_intensity (float, optional): Brightness of dome/sun-sky (0.0–10.0)
draw_dome (bool, optional): Whether the HDRI image is visible as the background
dome_rotation (float, optional): Horizontal rotation of HDRI dome in degrees (0–360)
sun_light_intensity (float, optional): Sun component brightness in modes 0 or 2

Returns:

{
  "changesApplied": ["environment_mode → 3"],
  "changeCount": 1,
  "currentEnvironmentMode": 3
}

Example:

# Required before using lighting presets so dome doesn't wash out scene lights
daz_set_scene_atmosphere(environment_mode=3)

# Dimmed HDRI dome blended with scene lights
daz_set_scene_atmosphere(environment_mode=1, environment_intensity=0.2, draw_dome=True)

`daz_apply_visual_style`

Apply a holistic cinematic visual style — creates/reconfigures three named lights (Style_Key, Style_Fill, Style_Rim) with ratios and angles tuned for the chosen look. Sets environment to Scene Only mode automatically.

Arguments:

style_name (string): One of "cinematic", "noir", "golden-hour", "blue-hour", "high-key", "low-key", "documentary", "fantasy"
subject_label (string, optional): Node to aim lights at
intensity (float, default 1.0): Scale factor for all light flux (0.1–5.0)

Returns:

{
  "styleName": "cinematic",
  "lights": [
    {"role": "key", "label": "Style_Key", "flux": 12000, "angle": 45},
    {"role": "fill", "label": "Style_Fill", "flux": 3000, "angle": -45},
    {"role": "rim", "label": "Style_Rim", "flux": 8000, "angle": 180}
  ],
  "lightingRatios": {"keyToFill": 4.0, "keyToRim": 1.5}
}

Example:

daz_apply_visual_style("cinematic", subject_label="Genesis 9")
daz_apply_visual_style("noir", subject_label="Alice", intensity=0.8)

Note: Fine-tune individual lights afterward with daz_set_property("Style_Key", "Flux", 15000).

🎭 Emotional Direction

`daz_set_emotion`

Apply an emotional expression to a character (morphs + body language).

Arguments:

character_label (string): Character display label
emotion (string): Emotion name
intensity (float, default 0.7): Strength of the expression (0.0–1.0)

Supported emotions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, fearful, disgusted, neutral, excited, bored, confident, shy, loving, contemptuous

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "character": "Genesis 9",
  "emotion": "happy",
  "intensity": 0.7,
  "applied": ["PHMSmile", "PHMBrowsUp", "chest_forward"],
  "notFound": ["PHMEyeSquintL"]
}

Missing morphs (due to figure generation differences) are reported in not_found without raising an error.

Use when: Quickly applying a recognizable expression instead of manually searching for morph names.

Example:

# Apply full happy expression
daz_set_emotion("Alice", "happy")

# Subtle confident look
daz_set_emotion("Bob", "confident", intensity=0.4)

📚 Content Library Navigation

`daz_list_categories`

List subdirectories in the content library under a parent path.

Arguments:

parent_path (string, default ""): Path relative to content library root (e.g., "People/Genesis 9")

Returns:

{
  "path": "People/Genesis 9",
  "categories": ["Characters", "Hair", "Clothing", "Expressions"],
  "count": 4
}

Use when: Browsing the content library to discover available categories.

Example:

# List top-level categories
daz_list_categories("")

# Browse Genesis 9 subcategories
daz_list_categories("People/Genesis 9")

`daz_browse_category`

List .duf files in a content library category.

Arguments:

category_path (string): Path relative to content library root
sort_by (string, default "name"): Sort order: "name" or "date"

Returns:

{
  "path": "People/Genesis 9/Hair",
  "files": [
    {"name": "Ade Hair", "path": "/Library/People/Genesis 9/Hair/Ade Hair.duf"},
    {"name": "Braid Updo", "path": "/Library/People/Genesis 9/Hair/Braid Updo.duf"}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

Use when: Finding content file paths to load with daz_load_file.

`daz_get_content_info`

Read metadata from a .duf file without loading it.

Arguments:

file_path (string): Absolute path to .duf file

Returns:

{
  "name": "Ade Hair",
  "type": "wearable",
  "requires": ["Genesis 9"],
  "author": "Daz Originals",
  "description": "Long flowing hair for Genesis 9"
}

Use when: Checking compatibility or requirements before loading content.

`daz_search_content`

Search the content library by keyword.

Arguments:

query (string): Search query
max_results (int, default 10): Maximum results to return

Returns: {"results": [{"name": "...", "path": "...", "type": "..."}], "count": N}

`daz_load_product`

Load a product from the DAZ content library by product name.

Arguments:

product_name (string): Product name to search for and load

Returns: {"success": true, "product": "...", "loaded": [...]}

🎬 Scene Composition / Cinematography

`daz_apply_composition_rule`

Position camera using a photography composition rule.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to position
subject_label (string): Subject to compose around
rule (string, default "rule-of-thirds"): Composition rule

Rules:

rule-of-thirds — Subject on right vertical third at eye level
golden-ratio — Subject at 1.618 golden section
center-frame — Subject centered, symmetric
leading-lines — Low angle with diagonal offset

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "subject": "Genesis 9",
  "rule": "rule-of-thirds"
}

`daz_frame_shot`

Frame camera using a standard cinematic shot type.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to position
subject_label (string): Subject to frame
shot_type (string): Shot type name

Shot types and distances:

extreme-close-up — 25 cm (eyes/mouth detail)
close-up — 50 cm (face)
medium-close-up — 90 cm (head and shoulders)
medium-shot — 140 cm (waist up)
medium-full — 200 cm (knees up)
full-shot — 400 cm (whole body)
wide-shot — 700 cm (body + environment)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "subject": "Genesis 9",
  "shotType": "medium-shot",
  "distance": 140
}

Example:

# Frame a portrait shot
daz_frame_shot("Camera 1", "Genesis 9", "close-up")

# Frame full body
daz_frame_shot("Camera 1", "Genesis 9", "full-shot")

`daz_apply_camera_angle`

Apply a standard camera angle preset relative to a subject.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to position
subject_label (string): Subject to angle toward
angle (string, default "eye-level"): Camera angle preset

Angles:

eye-level — Neutral, camera at subject's eye height
high-angle — Above subject, looking down (vulnerable)
low-angle — Below eye level, looking up (powerful)
dutch-angle — Eye level + 15° Z-roll (unsettling)
overhead — Directly above (bird's-eye)
worms-eye — Ground level looking up
over-shoulder — Behind and to one side

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "camera": "Camera 1",
  "subject": "Genesis 9",
  "angle": "low-angle"
}

💾 Scene Checkpoint System

`daz_save_scene_state`

Save current scene state (transforms, morphs, light properties) as a named checkpoint.

Arguments:

checkpoint_name (string): Name for this checkpoint

What is captured:

All figures/skeletons: transform properties + active (non-zero) morph values
All cameras: transform properties
All lights: transform properties + Flux, Shadow Softness, Spread Angle

What is NOT captured: Materials, geometry, HDR dome settings, parenting relationships.

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "checkpoint": "before_lighting_test",
  "nodesCaptured": 5,
  "savedAt": "2026-04-09T10:15:00"
}

Important: Checkpoints are stored in MCP server process memory and are lost if the server restarts.

Example:

# Safe experimentation workflow
daz_save_scene_state("before_lighting_test")
daz_apply_lighting_preset("rembrandt", "Genesis 9")
# Don't like it?
daz_restore_scene_state("before_lighting_test")

`daz_restore_scene_state`

Restore scene state from a named checkpoint.

Arguments:

checkpoint_name (string): Name of checkpoint to restore

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "checkpoint": "before_lighting_test",
  "nodesRestored": 5
}

`daz_list_checkpoints`

List all saved checkpoints in the current session.

Returns:

{
  "checkpoints": [
    {"name": "before_lighting_test", "savedAt": "2026-04-09T10:15:00", "nodeCount": 5},
    {"name": "pose_v2", "savedAt": "2026-04-09T10:32:00", "nodeCount": 5}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

`daz_export_node_config`

Export scene node properties to a portable JSON file for reuse across scenes or after server restarts. Complements in-memory checkpoints with persistent, file-based storage.

Arguments:

output_path (string): Absolute path for the output .json file
node_labels (list, optional): Specific node labels to capture; if omitted captures all skeletons, cameras, and lights
include_types (list, optional): Property categories to capture: "transforms", "morphs", "lights", "cameras" (default: all)

Returns:

{
  "outputPath": "C:/shots/hero_pose.json",
  "nodeCount": 3,
  "propertyCount": 18,
  "morphCount": 5,
  "fileSizeBytes": 4096
}

Example:

# Export current pose and morphs for Genesis 9
daz_export_node_config(
    "C:/poses/alice_surprised.json",
    node_labels=["Alice"],
    include_types=["transforms", "morphs"]
)

# Export a camera rig for reuse in other scenes
daz_export_node_config("C:/presets/interview_cameras.json",
                        node_labels=["Camera A", "Camera B"],
                        include_types=["transforms", "cameras"])

`daz_import_node_config`

Apply a previously exported node config file to the current scene. Nodes are matched by exact label.

Arguments:

input_path (string): Absolute path to the .json config file
node_labels (list, optional): Subset of nodes to import from the file
skip_missing (bool, default True): Silently skip nodes that don't exist in the current scene
scale_transforms (float, default 1.0): Scale factor for translation values (e.g. 0.01 to convert cm→m)

Returns:

{
  "totalNodes": 2,
  "successCount": 2,
  "failureCount": 0,
  "skippedCount": 0
}

Example:

# Restore a full scene setup
daz_import_node_config("C:/shots/hero_pose.json")

# Import only Alice's pose from a multi-character file
daz_import_node_config("C:/shots/crowd.json", node_labels=["Alice"])

🗺️ Scene Layout & Proximity

`daz_get_scene_layout`

Full spatial map of all scene nodes with positions and bounding boxes.

Arguments:

include_types (list, optional): Filter by type. Values: "figures", "cameras", "lights", "props". Omit for all types.

Returns:

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "label": "Genesis 9", "type": "DzFigure",
      "position": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
      "boundingBox": {"min": {...}, "max": {...}, "center": {...}}
    }
  ],
  "count": 8
}

Use when: Getting a complete overview of scene spatial layout before adding or moving objects.

`daz_find_nearby_nodes`

Find all nodes within a radius of a target node.

Arguments:

target_label (string): Center node to search around
radius (float, default 200.0): Search radius in cm
include_types (list, optional): Filter by type: "figures", "cameras", "lights", "props"

Returns:

{
  "target": "Alice",
  "radius": 200,
  "nearby": [
    {"label": "Bob", "type": "DzFigure", "distance": 120.5, "direction": "front-right"},
    {"label": "Chair", "type": "prop", "distance": 85.0, "direction": "right"}
  ],
  "count": 2
}

Direction labels: front, front-right, right, back-right, back, back-left, left, front-left

Use when: Finding all characters or props near a subject, checking interaction range.

⚡ Async Rendering Tools

For long-running operations (full renders, animation export, multi-camera batch), async tools return immediately with a request_id. The script executes serially on DAZ Studio's main thread — the scene is locked while it runs, so subsequent scene modifications queue behind it.

Key constraint: DAZ Studio is single-threaded. Async means the HTTP connection is released immediately — execution is still serial.

`daz_render_async`

Submit a render asynchronously. Returns immediately with a request_id.

Arguments:

output_path (string, optional): Output file path

Returns:

{
  "request_id": "render-a3f2b891",
  "status": "queued",
  "submitted_at": "2026-04-09T10:15:00"
}

`daz_render_with_camera_async`

Submit a camera-specific render asynchronously.

Arguments:

camera_label (string): Camera to render from
output_path (string, optional): Output file path

`daz_batch_render_cameras_async`

Submit a multi-camera batch render asynchronously.

Arguments:

cameras (list[string]): Camera labels
output_dir (string): Output directory
base_filename (string, default "render"): Base filename

`daz_render_animation_async`

Submit an animation render asynchronously.

Arguments:

output_dir (string): Output directory
start_frame (int, optional): First frame
end_frame (int, optional): Last frame
filename_pattern (string, default "frame"): Filename prefix
camera (string, optional): Camera to render from

`daz_get_request_status`

Poll the status of an async request (non-blocking, lightweight).

Arguments:

request_id (string): Request ID from an async submit tool

Returns:

{
  "request_id": "render-a3f2b891",
  "status": "running",
  "progress": 0.0,
  "elapsed_ms": 3200,
  "queue_position": 0
}

Status values: queued, running, completed, failed, cancelled

`daz_get_request_result`

Fetch the final result of an async request.

Arguments:

request_id (string): Request ID
wait (bool, default True): If True, blocks until complete (up to timeout_seconds)
timeout_seconds (int, default 300): Max wait time when wait=True

Returns (completed):

{
  "success": true,
  "result": {...},
  "request_id": "render-a3f2b891",
  "duration_ms": 45230,
  "completed_at": "2026-04-09T10:15:47",
  "status": "completed"
}

`daz_cancel_request`

Cancel a queued or running async request.

Arguments:

request_id (string): Request ID to cancel

Queued requests are removed immediately. Running requests set a cancel flag and call killRender().

Returns:

{
  "request_id": "render-a3f2b891",
  "status": "cancelled",
  "cancelled_at": "2026-04-09T10:15:05"
}

`daz_list_requests`

List all active and recently completed async requests.

Arguments:

status_filter (string, optional): Filter by status: "queued", "running", "completed", "failed", "cancelled"

Returns:

{
  "requests": [...],
  "total": 3,
  "queued": 1,
  "running": 1,
  "completed": 1
}

`daz_set_render_quality`

Set render quality preset before rendering.

Arguments:

preset (string): One of "draft", "preview", "good", "final"

Preset	Typical time	Use case
`draft`	30s–2min	Quick composition check
`preview`	2–5min	Client review
`good`	10–20min	High quality review
`final`	30min–2hr	Final output

Returns:

{
  "preset": "draft",
  "settings": {"Max Samples": 100, "Render Quality": 0.5}
}

`daz_render_batch`

Submit a batch of render variants atomically — all validated before any render is queued, each independently cancellable.

Arguments:

variants (list): List of render specs. Each must include output_path. Optional per-variant overrides: width, height, camera, engine, iray_samples, figure/figures, morphs.
base (dict, optional): Default settings shared by all variants (overridden by matching keys in each variant).

Returns:

{
  "request_ids": ["rnd-a1b2c3d4", "rnd-e5f6g7h8"],
  "total": 2
}

Example — product photography with expression variants:

daz_render_batch(
    base={"figure": "Genesis 9", "width": 1920, "height": 1080},
    variants=[
        {"output_path": "C:/out/neutral.png", "morphs": {"Smile": 0.0}},
        {"output_path": "C:/out/smile.png",   "morphs": {"Smile": 1.0}},
        {"output_path": "C:/out/serious.png", "morphs": {"Brow Down": 0.5}},
    ]
)

Use daz_get_request_status / daz_get_request_result to monitor each request_id. Up to 100 variants per call.

Async workflow example:

# 1. Set quality and submit
daz_set_render_quality("final")
req = daz_render_async("/renders/final.png")

# 2. Poll status
while True:
    status = daz_get_request_status(req["request_id"])
    if status["status"] in ("completed", "failed", "cancelled"):
        break
    # come back later...

# 3. Or use wait=True in one step
result = daz_get_request_result(req["request_id"], wait=True, timeout_seconds=3600)

`daz_wait_for_scene_event`

Block until a specific DAZ Studio scene event fires, using a Server-Sent Events (SSE) stream.

Arguments:

event_types (list[string]): One or more event types to wait for
timeout_seconds (int, default 30): Max wait time before raising an error

Available event types: render.started, render.finished, render.progress, scene.loaded, scene.saved, node.added, node.removed, node.renamed, selection.primary_changed, time.changed, playback.started, playback.stopped, light.added, light.removed, camera.added, camera.removed, skeleton.added, skeleton.removed

Returns:

{
  "type": "render.finished",
  "ts": "2026-01-01T12:00:05Z",
  "data": {}
}

Example:

# Fire a render then block until it finishes
daz_render_async("/renders/final.png")
event = daz_wait_for_scene_event(["render.finished"], timeout_seconds=3600)

# Wait for a scene load or save
daz_wait_for_scene_event(["scene.loaded", "scene.saved"], timeout_seconds=60)

Note: Requires DazScriptServer to support the GET /scene/events SSE endpoint (available in DazScriptServer v2.5+).

🎬 Cinematic Director Workflow

The cinematic module (tools/cinematic.py) provides 22 high-level tools for professional scene creation. The tools below are a selection of the most commonly used ones; additional tools include daz_animate_camera_movement, daz_create_camera_path, daz_create_character_path, daz_arrange_characters, daz_choreograph_action, daz_setup_shot_coverage, daz_create_camera_rig, daz_animate_light, daz_create_light_sequence, daz_plan_shot, daz_create_storyboard, daz_set_focus_point, daz_animate_focus_pull, daz_time_expression, and daz_sync_character_beats.

`daz_create_shot_sequence`

Create multi-camera shot sequences for cinematic storytelling.

Automatically creates and positions multiple cameras with keyframe animations for standard cinematic sequences.

Arguments:

sequence_type (string): Type of sequence - "establishing-medium-closeup", "shot-reverse-shot", "orbit", "push-in"
characters (list[string]): List of character labels (1-2 depending on sequence)
duration (int, default 120): Total duration in frames

Sequence Types:

"establishing-medium-closeup" - Three cameras at different distances (wide → medium → close-up)
"shot-reverse-shot" - Two over-shoulder cameras for conversation (requires 2 characters)
"orbit" - Single animated camera orbiting 360° around subject
"push-in" - Single animated camera dollying from wide to close-up

Returns:

{
  "cameras": [
    {"label": "Wide Shot", "position": {...}, "frameRange": {"start": 0, "end": 59}},
    {"label": "Medium Shot", "position": {...}, "frameRange": {"start": 60, "end": 119}}
  ],
  "totalFrames": 180,
  "sequenceType": "establishing-medium-closeup",
  "subject": "Genesis 9"
}

Example:

# Establishing sequence
daz_create_shot_sequence("establishing-medium-closeup", ["Genesis 9"], duration=180)

# Conversation cameras
daz_create_shot_sequence("shot-reverse-shot", ["Alice", "Bob"], duration=240)

# 360° turntable
daz_create_shot_sequence("orbit", ["Genesis 9"], duration=300)

`daz_animate_conversation`

Choreograph animated conversation between two characters with look-at and emotion keyframes.

Arguments:

char1_label (string): First character label
char2_label (string): Second character label
dialogue_beats (list[dict]): List of dialogue beats, each containing:
- speaker (string): Who's speaking (char1 or char2)
- startFrame (int): Beat start frame
- endFrame (int): Beat end frame
- emotion (string): Emotion name - "happy", "sad", "angry", "surprised", "neutral"
- intensity (float, optional): Emotion intensity 0.0-1.0 (default: 0.7)

Returns:

{
  "char1": "Alice",
  "char2": "Bob",
  "beatsApplied": [
    {
      "beat": 1,
      "speaker": "Alice",
      "frameRange": {"start": 0, "end": 60},
      "emotion": "happy",
      "actions": ["Applied happy emotion (3 morphs)", "Listener looks at speaker"]
    }
  ],
  "totalFrames": 180,
  "beatCount": 3
}

Example:

daz_animate_conversation(
    "Alice",
    "Bob",
    [
        {"speaker": "Alice", "startFrame": 0, "endFrame": 60, "emotion": "happy"},
        {"speaker": "Bob", "startFrame": 60, "endFrame": 120, "emotion": "surprised"},
        {"speaker": "Alice", "startFrame": 120, "endFrame": 180, "emotion": "neutral"}
    ]
)

Features:

Listener automatically looks at speaker during dialogue beat
Emotion morphs applied at beat start
Head/neck rotation for natural look-at behavior
Compatible with shot-reverse-shot camera sequences

`daz_create_scene`

Generate complete scene from natural language description.

Automatically creates lighting, cameras, and character positioning based on text description using template-based keyword matching.

Arguments:

description (string): Natural language scene description
characters (list[string], optional): Character labels already in scene

Supported Scene Types:

"dining" / "dinner" / "meal" - Dining scene with characters facing across table
"interview" / "meeting" / "business" - Interview setup with professional lighting
"portrait" / "headshot" / "photo" - Portrait photography with three-point lighting
"conversation" / "talking" / "chat" - Conversation scene with shot-reverse-shot cameras
Generic - Default three-point lighting for unrecognized descriptions

Returns:

{
  "sceneType": "dining",
  "description": "romantic dinner for two",
  "charactersUsed": 2,
  "actions": [
    "Scene type: Dining/meal scene",
    "Positioned characters facing each other across table distance",
    "Applied warm romantic lighting"
  ],
  "cameras": [
    {"label": "Wide Shot", "type": "wide", "purpose": "Establishing shot of dining scene"},
    {"label": "Over Shoulder 1", "type": "over-shoulder", "purpose": "Conversation angle"}
  ],
  "suggestions": [
    "Add table prop for dining scene",
    "Add plates, glasses, or food props for realism",
    "Consider adding candles for romantic dinner mood"
  ]
}

Example:

# Romantic dinner
daz_create_scene("romantic dinner for two", ["Alice", "Bob"])

# Job interview
daz_create_scene("job interview", ["Interviewer", "Candidate"])

# Professional portrait
daz_create_scene("professional portrait", ["Genesis 9"])

What Gets Created:

Scene-appropriate lighting (2-3 spot lights)
Character positioning based on scene type
Multiple cameras at strategic angles
Environment mode set to Scene Only
Actionable suggestions for enhancement

`daz_start_recording`

Start recording a macro to capture sequence of operations.

Arguments:

macro_name (string): Unique macro name (1-64 chars, letters/digits/hyphens/underscores)
description (string, optional): Macro description

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "macro_name": "portrait_setup",
  "description": "Standard portrait lighting and framing",
  "started_at": "2026-04-10T15:30:00",
  "message": "Recording macro 'portrait_setup'. Call daz_stop_recording() when done."
}

Example:

# Start recording
daz_start_recording("portrait_setup", "Standard portrait workflow")

# Perform operations (these will be recorded)
daz_apply_lighting_preset("three-point", "Genesis 9")
daz_frame_shot("Camera 1", "Genesis 9", "medium-close-up")

# Stop and save
daz_stop_recording()

`daz_stop_recording`

Stop recording current macro and save to library.

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "macro_name": "portrait_setup",
  "operation_count": 2,
  "saved_at": "2026-04-10T15:31:00",
  "message": "Macro 'portrait_setup' saved with 2 operations."
}

`daz_replay_macro`

Replay a saved macro with optional parameter substitution.

Arguments:

macro_name (string): Name of macro to replay
parameters (dict, optional): Parameter values for substitution

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "macro_name": "portrait_setup",
  "results": [],
  "successful_count": 2,
  "failed_count": 0
}

Example:

# Replay for different character
daz_replay_macro("portrait_setup", parameters={"subject": "Alice"})

Note: Parameter substitution not yet implemented in Phase 1 - placeholder for future.

`daz_list_macros`

List all saved macros in the library.

Returns:

{
  "macros": [
    {
      "name": "portrait_setup",
      "description": "Standard portrait workflow",
      "operation_count": 2,
      "saved_at": "2026-04-10T15:31:00"
    }
  ],
  "count": 1
}

Note: Macros are session-only (lost when MCP server restarts).

🎨 Material Tools

`daz_list_materials`

List all materials (surfaces) on a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name

Returns: {"materials": [{"name": "Skin", "index": 0}, ...], "count": N}

`daz_get_material`

Get all properties of a single material on a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
material_name (string): Material/surface name

Returns: {"node": "...", "material": "Skin", "properties": {"Diffuse Color": ..., "Glossy Reflectivity": ...}}

`daz_set_material_property`

Set a property on a material surface.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label
material_name (string): Material/surface name
property_name (string): Property name (e.g., "Diffuse Color", "Glossy Reflectivity")
value: New value (number, color string, or boolean)

`daz_apply_material_preset`

Apply a material preset .duf file to a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node to apply preset to
preset_path (string): Absolute path to preset .duf file

`daz_copy_material`

Copy a material from one node to another.

Arguments:

source_label (string): Source node
source_material (string): Source material name
target_label (string): Target node
target_material (string, optional): Target material name (defaults to same as source)

👗 Wardrobe & dForce Tools

`daz_list_fitted_items`

List all clothing/hair items fitted to a figure.

Arguments:

figure_label (string): Figure to inspect

Returns: {"figure": "...", "fittedItems": [{"label": "...", "type": "..."}], "count": N}

`daz_fit_clothing`

Fit a clothing item to a figure (auto-follow skeleton).

Arguments:

clothing_label (string): Clothing node to fit
figure_label (string): Target figure

`daz_unfit_item`

Unfit a clothing/hair item from its figure.

Arguments:

item_label (string): Item to unfit

`daz_run_dforce_simulation`

Run dForce cloth simulation on a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node to simulate (or null for all dForce items)
start_frame (int, optional): Start frame
end_frame (int, optional): End frame

`daz_bake_simulation`

Bake dForce simulation results to static geometry.

Arguments:

node_label (string, optional): Node to bake (or null for all)

`daz_set_dforce_property`

Set a dForce simulation property on a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node with dForce modifier
property_name (string): dForce property name
value (float): New value

`daz_get_figure_info`

Get detailed information about a figure (generation, fitted items, bone count).

Arguments:

figure_label (string): Figure to inspect

`daz_set_subdivision`

Set subdivision level on a node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node to modify
level (int): Subdivision level (0=base, 1=one level, etc.)

`daz_export_fbx`

Export a node (or full scene) to FBX format.

Arguments:

node_label (string, optional): Node to export (or null for scene)
output_path (string): Absolute path for output .fbx file

`daz_export_obj`

Export a node to OBJ format.

Arguments:

node_label (string, optional): Node to export (or null for scene)
output_path (string): Absolute path for output .obj file

🌿 New Character & Lighting Tools (v0.4.0)

`daz_set_body_language`

Apply full-body posture language to a character (beyond facial expressions).

Arguments:

character_label (string): Character to pose
stance (string): Body language archetype (e.g., "confident", "defeated", "alert", "relaxed")
intensity (float, default 0.7): Intensity 0.0–1.0

`daz_direct_gaze`

Control where a character's eyes are directed at the sub-expression level.

Arguments:

character_label (string): Character
direction (string): Gaze direction (e.g., "camera", "up", "down", "left", "right", "away")
intensity (float, default 1.0): Intensity 0.0–1.0

`daz_set_mood_lighting`

Apply a mood-based lighting setup (emotional/atmospheric presets).

Arguments:

mood (string): Lighting mood (e.g., "romantic", "tense", "hopeful", "melancholy", "dramatic")
subject_label (string): Primary subject to light

`daz_apply_time_of_day`

Configure scene lighting to simulate a time-of-day atmosphere.

Arguments:

time_of_day (string): Time preset (e.g., "dawn", "morning", "noon", "golden-hour", "dusk", "night")
subject_label (string): Primary subject in the scene

`daz_auto_improve_scene`

Automatically detect and fix common scene quality issues (lighting gaps, camera positioning, intersections).

Returns: {"improvements": [...], "score_before": N, "score_after": N}

`daz_suggest_next_action`

Suggest the next logical action based on current scene state.

Returns: {"suggestions": [{"action": "...", "reason": "...", "tool": "..."}]}

`daz_get_performance_stats`

Get MCP server performance metrics (request counts, latencies, tool call frequencies).

`daz_explain_last_error`

Get a human-readable explanation of the last error with suggested fixes.

`daz_check_compatibility`

Check if a content asset is compatible with a figure.

Arguments:

asset_path (string): Absolute path to .duf asset
figure_label (string): Figure to check compatibility against

✏️ Modification Tools

`daz_set_property`

Set a numeric property on a scene node.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Node display label or internal name
property_name (string): Property display label or internal name
value (float): New value

Returns:

{
  "node": "Genesis 9",
  "property": "X Translate",
  "value": 50.0
}

Units:

Translation: centimeters
Rotation: degrees
Morphs: typically 0-1 or percentage

Use when: Moving nodes, adjusting morphs, or changing any numeric property.

Example:

daz_set_property(node_label="Genesis 9", property_name="X Translate", value=100.0)

`daz_load_file`

Load a DAZ Studio file into the scene.

Arguments:

file_path (string): Absolute path to file (.duf, .daz, .obj, .fbx, etc.)
merge (bool, default True): If true, merge into scene; if false, replace scene

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "file": "/path/to/character.duf"
}

Use when: Loading characters, props, scenes, or any content files.

Example:

daz_load_file(file_path="/Library/Genesis 9/Character.duf", merge=True)

`daz_save_scene`

Save the current DAZ Studio scene to disk.

Arguments:

file_path (string, optional): Absolute path for Save As. If omitted, saves to the scene's current filename (equivalent to Ctrl+S).

Returns: {"saved": true, "file_path": "/path/to/scene.duf"}

Note: If the scene has never been saved and no file_path is given, provide an explicit path to avoid DAZ opening a dialog.

`daz_save_scene_copy`

Save a copy of the current scene to a new path without changing the scene's active filename.

Arguments:

path (string): Absolute destination path

Returns: {"ok": true, "path": "/path/to/copy.duf", "source": "/path/to/original.duf", "method": "file-copy"}

Example:

daz_save_scene_copy("C:/backups/hero_v02.duf")

Note: Use this for backups and snapshots. Use daz_save_scene when you actually want to switch to a new file.

`daz_delete_node`

Remove a node and its children from the scene.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Display label or internal name of the node to delete

Returns: {"deleted": "Key Light", "child_count": 0}

Note: Destructive — cannot be undone without reloading from file. Save the scene first with daz_save_scene if you need a recovery point.

`daz_set_render_output`

Configure render output path and/or image dimensions.

Arguments:

output_path (string, optional): Absolute path for the rendered image (e.g. "C:/renders/hero_shot.png")
width (int, optional): Render image width in pixels
height (int, optional): Render image height in pixels

At least one argument must be provided.

Returns: {"changed": ["outputPath", "width", "height"], "current": {...}}

Example:

daz_set_render_output(output_path="C:/renders/scene01.png", width=1920, height=1080)

🎬 Rendering Tools

`daz_render`

Trigger a render using current DAZ Studio render settings.

Arguments:

output_path (string, optional): Absolute path for output image (e.g., "C:/renders/output.png")

Returns:

{
  "success": true
}

Notes:

Uses DAZ Studio's currently configured render settings (dimensions, quality, engine)
Blocks until render completes (increase DAZ_TIMEOUT for long renders)
If output_path is omitted, uses DAZ Studio's configured output path

Use when: Rendering the current scene setup.

🎭 Multi-Character Interaction Tools

`daz_look_at_point`

Make character look at a world-space point with cascading body involvement.

Arguments:

character_label (string): Character display label or internal name
target_x (float): World X coordinate (cm) to look at
target_y (float): World Y coordinate (cm) to look at
target_z (float): World Z coordinate (cm) to look at
mode (string, default "head"): How much body to involve
- "eyes" - Only rotate eyes
- "head" - Eyes + head rotation
- "neck" - Eyes + head + neck
- "torso" - Eyes + head + neck + chest
- "full" - Complete body rotation including hip

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "character": "Genesis 9",
  "mode": "head",
  "rotatedBones": ["lEye", "rEye", "head"]
}

Use when: Making a character look at a specific point in 3D space with natural body movement.

Example:

# Look at point in front at eye level
daz_look_at_point("Genesis 9", 0, 160, 200, mode="head")

# Full body turn to look behind
daz_look_at_point("Genesis 9", 0, 140, -150, mode="full")

`daz_look_at_character`

Make one character look at another character's face.

Arguments:

source_label (string): Character who will look
target_label (string): Character to look at
mode (string, default "head"): Body involvement level (same options as daz_look_at_point)

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "source": "Alice",
  "target": "Bob",
  "mode": "head",
  "targetPosition": {"x": 50, "y": 163, "z": 0},
  "rotatedBones": ["lEye", "rEye", "head"]
}

Use when: Creating eye contact or attention between characters.

Example:

# Alice looks at Bob
daz_look_at_character("Alice", "Bob", mode="head")

# Bob turns whole body to face Alice
daz_look_at_character("Bob", "Alice", mode="full")

`daz_reach_toward`

Position character's arm to reach toward a world-space point using pseudo-IK.

Arguments:

character_label (string): Character display label or internal name
side (string): Which arm: "left" or "right"
target_x (float): World X coordinate (cm) to reach toward
target_y (float): World Y coordinate (cm) to reach toward
target_z (float): World Z coordinate (cm) to reach toward

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "character": "Genesis 9",
  "side": "right",
  "targetDistance": 45.3,
  "bones": ["right shoulder", "right forearm", "right hand"]
}

Use when: Positioning hands to grasp objects, point at things, or reach toward targets.

Example:

# Reach right hand toward object at chest height
daz_reach_toward("Genesis 9", "right", 50, 130, 80)

# Reach left hand toward object on left side
daz_reach_toward("Genesis 9", "left", -60, 100, 50)

Note: Uses simplified IK approximation. For precise hand positioning, load artist-created pose presets.

`daz_interactive_pose`

Coordinate two characters for interactive poses.

Arguments:

char1_label (string): First character display label
char2_label (string): Second character display label
interaction_type (string, default "face-each-other"): Type of interaction
- "face-each-other" - Position and rotate to face each other
- "hug" - Both characters hug with arms around each other
- "shoulder-arm" - Char1 puts arm around char2's shoulders
- "handshake" - Both extend right hands for handshake
distance (float, optional): Spacing between characters in cm

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "char1": "Alice",
  "char2": "Bob",
  "interactionType": "hug",
  "applied": ["facing", "hug arms"]
}

Use when: Creating common two-character interactions quickly.

Example:

# Position characters facing each other at conversation distance
daz_interactive_pose("Alice", "Bob", "face-each-other", distance=120)

# Create tight hug
daz_interactive_pose("Alice", "Bob", "hug", distance=30)

# Bob puts arm around Alice's shoulders
daz_interactive_pose("Bob", "Alice", "shoulder-arm")

Note: These are simplified interaction poses. Fine-tune positions afterward using daz_set_property.

`daz_reset_pose`

Zero all bone rotations on a figure, returning it to its rest pose.

Arguments:

node_label (string): Figure to reset
zero_transforms (bool, default False): If True, also zero the root XYZ translation and reset Scale to 1.0

Returns: {"node": "Genesis 9", "bones_reset": 127, "transforms_zeroed": false}

Note: Does not affect morph values or animation keyframes.

`daz_save_pose`

Capture all bone rotations from a figure and save to a portable JSON pose file.

Arguments:

figure_label (string): Source figure
pose_name (string): Human-readable name stored in the file
output_path (string): Absolute path for the .json output file

Returns: {"success": true, "bone_count": 127, "file": "/path/to/pose.json"}

Example:

daz_save_pose("Genesis 9", "Hero Idle", "C:/poses/hero_idle.json")

`daz_load_pose`

Apply a saved pose file to a figure.

Arguments:

figure_label (string): Target figure
pose_path (string): Absolute path to the .json pose file
bone_group (string, default "full"): Filter which bones to apply — "full", "arms_only", "legs_only", or "spine"

Returns: {"success": true, "bones_applied": 127, "bones_skipped": 0}

Example:

# Apply full pose
daz_load_pose("Genesis 9", "C:/poses/hero_idle.json")

# Apply only the arms from a pose to a different character
daz_load_pose("Alice", "C:/poses/reaching.json", bone_group="arms_only")

🔧 Low-Level Tools

`daz_execute`

Execute arbitrary inline DazScript code.

Arguments:

script (string): DazScript (JavaScript) source code
args (dict, optional): JSON object accessible in script as args variable

Returns:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": 42,
  "output": ["line from print()"],
  "error": null,
  "request_id": "a3f2b891"
}

Script Requirements:

Wrap returning scripts in IIFE: (function(){ return 42; })()
Global objects available: Scene, App, MainWindow
Access args via: var value = args.myKey;

Use when: You need fine-grained control or operations not covered by high-level tools.

Example:

script = "(function(){ return Scene.getNumNodes(); })()"

`daz_execute_file`

Execute a DazScript file from disk.

Arguments:

script_file (string): Absolute path to .dsa or .ds file
args (dict, optional): JSON object accessible as args in the script

Returns: Same format as daz_execute

Use when: Running complex scripts stored in files, especially scripts that use include() or getScriptFileName().

Features

🚀 Script Registry

High-level tools (daz_scene_info, daz_get_node, etc.) use the DazScriptServer script registry:

Scripts are registered once at startup via _registry.py
Subsequent calls execute by ID (no retransmission)
Auto-reregistration on 404 (when DAZ Studio restarts)

🔄 Automatic Reconnection

If DAZ Studio restarts and clears the session registry, the server automatically detects 404 responses, re-registers all scripts, and retries the operation.

🛡️ Error Handling

Connection failures → Clear error messages ("Ensure DAZ Studio is running...")
Timeouts → Actionable guidance (increase DAZ_TIMEOUT)
Authentication failures → Token file location in error message
Script errors → Full error details with line numbers and captured output

🏗️ Modular Architecture (v0.4.0)

The server was refactored from a single 15,000-line server.py into 13 focused tool modules under tools/. A shared _mcp.py holds the FastMCP instance and all execute helpers, avoiding circular imports. Import-time side effects register all @mcp.tool() decorators when tools/__init__.py is imported.

🎬 Cinematic Director Workflow

22 high-level cinematic tools for professional scene creation:

Scene Generation: Create complete scenes from natural language (5 templates: dining, interview, portrait, conversation, generic)
Shot Sequences: Multi-camera cinematography (establishing shots, shot-reverse-shot, orbit, push-in)
Camera Animation: Dolly, push-in, orbit paths with keyframe control
Conversation Choreography: Automated dialogue animation with look-at behavior and emotion timing
Lighting Animation: Animated light sequences, mood lighting, time-of-day
Shot Planning: Storyboard creation, shot coverage, focus/DOF control
Macro System: Record and replay operation sequences for workflow automation (session-based)

Usage Examples

Example 1: Check Status

# In Claude Desktop, just ask:
"Check if DAZ Studio is running"

# Claude will use daz_status and report back

Example 2: Load and Position Character

1. Load Genesis 9 from /Library/Genesis 9/Genesis9.duf
2. Move it 100cm to the right
3. Get the current scene info

Claude will:

Call daz_load_file(file_path="/Library/Genesis 9/Genesis9.duf", merge=True)
Call daz_set_property(node_label="Genesis 9", property_name="X Translate", value=100.0)
Call daz_scene_info() and report the results

Example 3: Custom Lighting Setup

Execute this DazScript to create a three-point light setup:
- Key light at (200, 200, 200) pointing at origin
- Fill light at (-100, 150, 150) pointing at origin
- Rim light at (0, 180, -200) pointing at origin

Claude will use daz_execute with the appropriate DazScript code.

Example 4: Batch Rendering

Render the current scene to these output paths:
- C:/renders/front.png
- C:/renders/side.png
- C:/renders/back.png

Between each render, rotate the character 90 degrees.

Claude will loop through, adjusting rotation and calling daz_render for each output.

Example 5: Generate Complete Scene (Phase 4)

Create a romantic dinner scene with Alice and Bob

Claude will:

Call daz_create_scene("romantic dinner for two", ["Alice", "Bob"])
- Positions characters facing each other
- Creates warm romantic lighting (2 spot lights)
- Creates wide shot and over-shoulder cameras
- Returns suggestions: add table, plates, candles
Report the created cameras and lighting setup
Suggest next steps based on the suggestions

Example 6: Animated Conversation (Phase 4)

Create an animated conversation between Alice and Bob:
- Alice speaks happily from frame 0-60
- Bob responds with surprise from 60-120
- Alice concludes neutrally from 120-180

Claude will:

Call daz_animate_conversation("Alice", "Bob", [...dialogue beats...])
- Sets up look-at behavior (listener looks at speaker)
- Applies emotion morphs at beat boundaries
- Animates head/neck rotation for natural movement
Call daz_create_shot_sequence("shot-reverse-shot", ["Alice", "Bob"], 180)
- Creates over-shoulder cameras for conversation
Report the animation setup and suggest render workflow

Troubleshooting

"Cannot connect to DAZ Studio"

Cause: DazScriptServer plugin is not running or not listening on the expected port.

Solutions:

Open DAZ Studio
Go to Window → Panes → Daz Script Server
Click Start Server
Verify it's running on port 18811 (or update DAZ_PORT env var)

"Authentication failed (HTTP 401)"

Cause: API token is missing or incorrect.

Solutions:

Check DazScriptServer UI shows authentication is enabled
Verify token file exists: ~/.daz3d/dazscriptserver_token.txt
Copy token exactly from DazScriptServer UI
Set DAZ_API_TOKEN environment variable if using custom location

"Request timed out after 30s"

Cause: Script or render took longer than the timeout.

Solutions:

Increase timeout: export DAZ_TIMEOUT=120.0
Update Claude Desktop config with larger timeout in env section
Restart Claude Desktop after config change

"Script execution failed" or "Node not found"

Cause: DazScript error (syntax, missing node, wrong property name).

Solutions:

Check the error message for line numbers and details
Verify node labels match exactly (case-sensitive)
Use daz_get_node to discover available property names
Test scripts manually in DAZ Studio Script IDE first

Development

Running Tests

# Run all tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v

# Run specific test
uv run pytest tests/test_server.py::test_daz_status_ok -v

Project Structure

vangard-daz-mcp/
├── src/vangard_daz_mcp/
│   ├── server.py              # Entry point: imports _mcp and tools package
│   ├── _mcp.py                # Shared FastMCP instance, lifespan, execute helpers
│   ├── _client.py             # httpx client singleton + env config
│   ├── _errors.py             # Error handling helpers
│   ├── _registry.py           # Script pre-registration at startup
│   ├── dazscript_docs.json    # DazScript documentation (daz_script_help)
│   └── tools/
│       ├── __init__.py        # Imports all 13 modules (registers @mcp.tool decorators)
│       ├── spatial.py         # World position, bounding box, distance, layout (7 tools)
│       ├── transform.py       # Node properties, batch ops, visibility, selection (7 tools)
│       ├── scene.py           # Load/save, hierarchy, checkpoints (11 tools)
│       ├── figure.py          # Posing, look-at, IK, interaction, pose library (7 tools)
│       ├── morph.py           # Morphs, emotions, body language, gaze (6 tools)
│       ├── camera_light.py    # Cameras, lights, presets, mood/time-of-day (15 tools)
│       ├── render.py          # Sync/async render, batch, animation export (16 tools)
│       ├── animation.py       # Keyframes, timeline, frame range (7 tools)
│       ├── material.py        # Materials: list, get, set, presets, copy (5 tools)
│       ├── utility.py         # Status, execute, docs, validate, macros (18 tools)
│       ├── content.py         # Content browser, search, compatibility (6 tools)
│       ├── cinematic.py       # Shot sequences, camera paths, storyboard (22 tools)
│       └── wardrobe.py        # Clothing, dForce, subdivision, export (10 tools)
├── tests/
│   └── test_server.py         # Test suite with respx mocks
├── pyproject.toml             # Project config (version, dependencies)
├── ASYNC_OPERATIONS.md        # Design doc for async rendering system
├── IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md     # Phased feature roadmap
└── README.md

Architecture

FastMCP 3.x server with stdio transport (137 tools registered)
Modular tool package: 13 focused modules under tools/; @mcp.tool() decorators fire at import time via the shared mcp instance from _mcp.py, avoiding circular imports with server.py
httpx.AsyncClient for HTTP requests to DazScriptServer; managed in _client.py singleton
dazpy SDK (installed from PyPI as dazpy>=2.6.0): synchronous Python SDK; all dazpy calls wrapped in asyncio.to_thread via run_dazpy()
Script registry (_registry.py): high-level tool scripts pre-registered at startup, executed by ID; auto-re-registered on 404 when DAZ Studio restarts
lifespan context manages httpx client initialization and cleanup

Requirements

Python: 3.11+
Dependencies:
- fastmcp>=2.0 - MCP server framework
- httpx>=0.27 - Async HTTP client
- dazpy>=2.6.0 - Synchronous Python SDK for DazScriptServer (installed from PyPI)
Dev Dependencies:
- pytest>=8.0
- pytest-asyncio>=0.24
- respx>=0.21 - HTTP mocking for tests

Limitations

DAZ Studio must be running locally (no remote DAZ Studio support); compatible with DAZ Studio 4.5+ and 6.25+
DazScriptServer plugin must be installed and active — ensure you install the version matching your DAZ Studio installation
All scene operations execute on DAZ Studio's main thread — operations are serialized even with async tools
While a render is running, no other scene operations can execute (scene is locked)
Scene checkpoints are in-memory only and lost if the MCP server restarts
No support for binary data (rendered images must be saved to disk, not returned directly)

Related Projects

DazScriptServer: https://github.com/bluemoonfoundry/daz-script-server
- The HTTP plugin this server wraps
- Required prerequisite
Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io
- Specification this server implements
FastMCP: https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp
- Framework used to build this server

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Areas for improvement:

Support for binary data (screenshot capture, returning rendered images directly)
Integration tests with a real DAZ Studio instance
More DazScript documentation topics in dazscript_docs.json
Additional lighting presets and emotion definitions
Remote DAZ Studio support (connect to DAZ Studio on a different machine)

License

This project is provided as-is for use with DAZ Studio.

Author: Blue Moon Foundry

For questions or issues, please open an issue on GitHub.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 52 Commits
.agents/skills/beads		.agents/skills/beads
.beads		.beads
.codex		.codex
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
src/vangard_daz_mcp		src/vangard_daz_mcp
tests		tests
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
ASYNC_OPERATIONS.md		ASYNC_OPERATIONS.md
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md		IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SKILL_ACTORS.md		SKILL_ACTORS.md
SKILL_CINEMA.md		SKILL_CINEMA.md
SKILL_DAZSCRIPT.md		SKILL_DAZSCRIPT.md
SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md		SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md
SKILL_DEVELOPMENT.md		SKILL_DEVELOPMENT.md
SKILL_SCENE.md		SKILL_SCENE.md
daz_script_spec.d.ts		daz_script_spec.d.ts
integration_test.py		integration_test.py
jsconfig.json		jsconfig.json
pyproject.toml		pyproject.toml
sample.dsa		sample.dsa
uv.lock		uv.lock

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vangard-daz-mcp

What Is This?

Prerequisites

Installation

1. Install uv (if you don't have it)

2. Clone and install

Using pip (alternative)

Configuration

Environment Variables

Authentication

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

Cursor

VS Code (GitHub Copilot / MCP extension)

Verifying the connection

Domain Reference Files (SKILL files)

How to use them

SKILL file reference

When to load SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md

Available Tools

📚 Documentation Tools

daz_script_help

🔍 Inspection Tools

daz_status

daz_scene_info

daz_get_node

daz_get_selected_nodes

🔬 Morph Discovery Tools

daz_list_morphs

daz_search_morphs

🌳 Scene Hierarchy Tools

daz_get_node_hierarchy

daz_list_children

daz_get_parent

daz_set_parent

⚡ Batch Operations

daz_batch_set_properties

daz_batch_transform

daz_batch_visibility

daz_batch_select

📷 Viewport and Camera Control

daz_set_active_camera

daz_orbit_camera_around

daz_frame_camera_to_node

daz_save_camera_preset

daz_load_camera_preset

daz_list_cameras

daz_create_camera

🎬 Animation System

daz_set_keyframe

daz_get_keyframes

daz_remove_keyframe

daz_clear_animation

daz_set_frame

daz_set_frame_range

daz_get_animation_info

🎥 Advanced Rendering Control

daz_render_with_camera

daz_get_render_settings

daz_batch_render_cameras

daz_render_animation

📐 Spatial Query Tools

daz_get_world_position

daz_get_bounding_box

daz_calculate_distance

daz_get_spatial_relationship

daz_check_overlap

🔬 Property Introspection Tools

daz_inspect_properties

daz_get_property_metadata

daz_validate_script

💡 Lighting Preset Tools

daz_apply_lighting_preset

daz_validate_scene

daz_list_lights

When to load `SKILL_DAZ_STUDIO.md`

`daz_script_help`

`daz_status`

`daz_scene_info`

`daz_get_node`

`daz_get_selected_nodes`

`daz_list_morphs`

`daz_search_morphs`

`daz_get_node_hierarchy`

`daz_list_children`

`daz_get_parent`

`daz_set_parent`

`daz_batch_set_properties`

`daz_batch_transform`

`daz_batch_visibility`

`daz_batch_select`

`daz_set_active_camera`

`daz_orbit_camera_around`

`daz_frame_camera_to_node`

`daz_save_camera_preset`

`daz_load_camera_preset`

`daz_list_cameras`

`daz_create_camera`

`daz_set_keyframe`

`daz_get_keyframes`

`daz_remove_keyframe`

`daz_clear_animation`

`daz_set_frame`

`daz_set_frame_range`

`daz_get_animation_info`

`daz_render_with_camera`

`daz_get_render_settings`

`daz_batch_render_cameras`

`daz_render_animation`

`daz_get_world_position`

`daz_get_bounding_box`

`daz_calculate_distance`

`daz_get_spatial_relationship`

`daz_check_overlap`

`daz_inspect_properties`

`daz_get_property_metadata`

`daz_validate_script`

`daz_apply_lighting_preset`

`daz_validate_scene`

`daz_list_lights`

`daz_create_light`

`daz_set_scene_atmosphere`

`daz_apply_visual_style`

`daz_set_emotion`

`daz_list_categories`

`daz_browse_category`

`daz_get_content_info`

`daz_search_content`

`daz_load_product`

`daz_apply_composition_rule`

`daz_frame_shot`

`daz_apply_camera_angle`

`daz_save_scene_state`

`daz_restore_scene_state`

`daz_list_checkpoints`

`daz_export_node_config`

`daz_import_node_config`

`daz_get_scene_layout`

`daz_find_nearby_nodes`

`daz_render_async`

`daz_render_with_camera_async`

`daz_batch_render_cameras_async`

`daz_render_animation_async`

`daz_get_request_status`

`daz_get_request_result`

`daz_cancel_request`

`daz_list_requests`

`daz_set_render_quality`

`daz_render_batch`

`daz_wait_for_scene_event`

`daz_create_shot_sequence`

`daz_animate_conversation`

`daz_create_scene`

`daz_start_recording`

`daz_stop_recording`