How do I install Patina Unity MCP?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Patina Unity MCP need an API key?

No required environment variable is listed on this record.

What transport does Patina Unity MCP use?

Patina Unity MCP runs locally over stdio.

When was Patina Unity MCP last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-10. Control the Unity Editor from MCP hosts through a local Rust server and C# Unity bridge.

Patina Unity MCP server

Patina

Control the Unity Editor from any MCP host. One package install, one click, and your AI assistant can see your scene, create objects, and talk to the console.

Patina is a Rust MCP server paired with a C# Unity bridge. It connects your favorite AI coding tool directly to the Unity Editor over a local TCP channel, with zero manual config.

Why Patina?

One-click setup. Install the UPM package, click a button, and every supported host is configured automatically.
No Rust required. Release packages ship pre-built binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Just install and go.
Built for speed. The Rust sidecar keeps the MCP layer fast and lightweight while Unity stays on the main thread.
Multi-host. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, JetBrains Rider, Codex CLI, and more.

How It Works

MCP Host  <-- stdio -->  Patina Server  <-- local TCP -->  Unity Editor

The host launches the Rust binary over stdio MCP. The Rust server forwards tool calls into Unity through a local loopback TCP bridge. Unity executes them on the main thread and returns the result.

Quick Start

1. Install the Unity package

In Unity, open Project Settings > Package Manager, add a scoped registry, then install the package by name.

Scoped registry:

Field	Value
Name	`npmjs`
URL	`https://registry.npmjs.org`
Scope(s)	`com.taygunsavas`

Then open the Package Manager (Window > Package Manager), click the + icon in the top left, select Add package by name..., and enter:

com.taygunsavas.patina-unity-mcp

Registry releases are signed during the release workflow for Unity Package Manager verification.

Alternatively, open the Package Manager, click the + icon, select Add package from git URL..., and enter:

https://github.com/taygunsavas/patina-unity-mcp.git?path=/unity-package

Patina is distributed as a complete Unity package artifact with the editor code, native Rust runtime binaries under Plugins/<platform>/, and the Unity metadata needed for import. End users do not need the Rust toolchain or a Git checkout of this repository.

2. Run One-Click Setup

Open Window > Patina Unity MCP and click One-Click Setup.

The setup flow verifies the binary, starts the Unity bridge, auto-configures every detected host, replaces stale entries, and shows restart guidance where needed.

Patina writes host configs to a stable user-level runtime path instead of a per-project Unity package cache path. When the package is updated, the Unity editor package refreshes that managed runtime automatically, so supported MCP hosts do not need to be reconfigured just because the package cache path changed.

3. Start building

Open your MCP host and try:

"Log hello to Unity console"
"Show me the scene hierarchy"
"Create a cube at position 0, 2, 0"

Available Capabilities

Patina keeps the advertised MCP surface compact so hosts do not need to load every Unity command schema into context. Agents should use:

MCP tool	What it does
`patina_capabilities`	Search or browse the Unity command catalog; request schemas only for specific commands
`patina_call`	Execute a catalog command with JSON parameters
`patina_health`	Inspect Patina version, command count, bridge port, optional Unity editor state, and bridge diagnostics

The 87 commands below are available through patina_capabilities and patina_call.

Scene

Tool	What it does
`get_hierarchy`	Retrieve the active scene's GameObject tree as nested JSON; supports `max_depth` and `name_filter`
`get_scene_info`	Active scene metadata (name, path, build index, root count, dirty state); pass `include_all_scenes` for all loaded scenes
`open_scene`	Open a scene by project-relative path; `mode` single (default) or additive
`save_scene`	Save the active scene or any loaded scene; supports Save As
`new_scene`	Create and save a new scene with optional empty or default-game-objects setup

GameObjects

Tool	What it does
`create_game_object`	Spawn an empty GameObject or a built-in primitive (Cube, Sphere, Capsule, Cylinder, Plane, Quad)
`delete_game_object`	Permanently delete a GameObject and all its children
`duplicate_game_object`	Duplicate a GameObject and its children
`reparent_game_object`	Move a GameObject under a new parent; pass `null` to promote to scene root
`get_game_object_info`	Full details for a named GameObject: transform, tag, layer, and all component properties
`set_active_state`	Show or hide a GameObject via `SetActive()`
`set_tag`	Set the tag on a GameObject (tag must be registered in Tags & Layers)
`set_layer`	Set the layer by name; optionally apply to all children
`set_transform`	Set position, rotation (Euler), and/or scale in world or local space in one call

Components & Properties

Tool	What it does
`add_component`	Add a component by short name (`Rigidbody`) or fully qualified name
`remove_component`	Remove a component by type name
`set_property`	Set a public field, a public writable property or a `[SerializeField]` field (including inherited ones) on a component by name
`get_game_object_components`	Return a lightweight component list for a GameObject

Batch Operations

Tool	What it does
`batch_set_properties`	Apply `set_property` style changes (public members or `[SerializeField]` fields) across multiple GameObjects
`batch_add_components`	Add components to multiple GameObjects
`batch_set_transform`	Apply transform changes to multiple GameObjects

Prefabs

Tool	What it does
`create_prefab`	Save a scene GameObject as a prefab asset
`instantiate_prefab`	Instantiate a prefab into the scene at an optional world position
`get_prefab_info`	Inspect a prefab asset or scene instance; returns asset type, overrides list, and instance status
`unpack_prefab`	Sever a prefab instance link; `outermost` (default) or `completely`
`apply_prefab_overrides`	Apply all instance overrides back to the source prefab asset on disk
`revert_prefab_overrides`	Restore a prefab instance to match its source asset
`list_prefab_components`	List component types and instance IDs on a prefab asset; optionally includes child GameObjects with transform paths
`edit_prefab_asset`	Perform a batch of edit operations (add/remove component, add/remove child, set field) on a prefab asset, including object-reference fields and GameObject-level `layer`, `tag`, `isStatic`, `name` and `activeSelf`; after saving, runs `OnValidate` on touched components and saves again
`open_prefab_stage`	Open a prefab asset in Unity's prefab stage for editing; exit using `close_prefab_stage`
`close_prefab_stage`	Close the active prefab stage; `save_changes` parameter resolves dirty stages without Unity's blocking save prompt, giving save or discard decision

After saving and reimporting, edit_prefab_asset runs OnValidate by reflection on the saved asset for every component of each type touched by add_component or set_field on the touched GameObject, then saves again, so state computed there (such as Netcode NetworkObject hashes) is persisted. If an OnValidate throws, the command still succeeds and the result gains a warnings string array listing components whose OnValidate was skipped or threw, including when the saved prefab cannot be loaded or a tracked path or component cannot be resolved.

Example: Set GameObject-level values.

set_field targets the GameObject itself when component_type is omitted, "GameObject" or "UnityEngine.GameObject". Supported field_name values are layer (index 0-31 or layer name), tag, isStatic, name and activeSelf (the prefab root name follows the asset file name, so name on the root is rejected). add_child also accepts optional layer, tag and is_static:

{
  "asset_path": "Assets/Prefabs/MyPrefab.prefab",
  "actions": [
    {"action_type": "add_child", "child_name": "Wall0", "layer": "Water", "tag": "Player", "is_static": true},
    {"action_type": "set_field", "transform_path": "Wall0", "component_type": "UnityEngine.GameObject", "field_name": "layer", "value": 5}
  ]
}

Example: Set a component reference within a prefab.

To point a serialized field at another component inside the same prefab, pass an edit_prefab_asset action with set_field and an object reference value. The transform_path inside value is resolved against the prefab root, not against the action's own transform_path:

{
  "asset_path": "Assets/Prefabs/MyPrefab.prefab",
  "actions": [
    {
      "action_type": "set_field",
      "component_type": "MyNamespace.MyComponent",
      "field_name": "targetReference",
      "value": {"transform_path": "Container/Button", "component_type": "MyNamespace.TargetComponent"}
    }
  ]
}

Assets

Tool	What it does
`find_assets_by_type`	Search the Asset Database by type filter (`t:Material`, `t:Prefab`, `t:Texture2D`, etc.)
`find_assets_by_name`	Search the Asset Database by partial name match
`get_asset_info`	Metadata for an asset: GUID, type, file size, labels, and importer settings
`create_folder`	Create a new folder in the Asset Database
`move_asset`	Move an asset to a new project-relative path
`rename_asset`	Rename an asset in-place
`delete_asset`	Delete an asset by project-relative path
`refresh_asset_database`	Trigger `AssetDatabase.Refresh`; incremental or force-reimport
`set_asset_labels`	Replace the full label list on an asset

Materials

Tool	What it does
`create_material`	Create a new Material asset; defaults to URP/Lit
`get_material_properties`	Read all exposed shader properties with names, types, and current values
`set_material_property`	Set a shader property (float, bool, color, vector, or texture path)
`assign_material`	Assign a Material to a specific Renderer slot

Scripts

Tool	What it does
`create_script`	Create a new C# script from a template (`monobehaviour`, `scriptableobject`, `editor_window`, `plain_class`, `interface`) or verbatim content
`resolve_script_type`	Resolve a MonoScript GUID and asset path by its fully qualified C# type
`force_recompile`	Trigger a Unity script recompile via `AssetDatabase.Refresh(ForceUpdate)`
`compile_and_get_errors`	Trigger script recompile and return compiler errors only; also returns `compilationRan`, `domainReloadObserved`, and `reloadCount`
`get_compilation_errors`	Get the list of current compiler errors and warnings
`get_script_content`	Read the content of a script file in the project
`get_assembly_types`	List all types declared in a specific assembly
`request_script_reload`	Request a domain reload via `EditorUtility.RequestScriptReload()` and return once it completes, enabling observation of reload-time errors

Scriptable Objects

Tool	What it does
`get_scriptable_object`	Read serialized fields from a ScriptableObject asset
`set_scriptable_object_field`	Set one serialized ScriptableObject field

Validation & Health

Tool	What it does
`validate_scene`	Scan the active scene for quality issues (missing script references, null serialized fields, and broken prefab connections)
`validate_assets`	Validate a single prefab asset or a folder recursively for missing scripts, broken object references, and unassigned required serialized fields
`get_scene_stats`	Return lightweight statistics for the active scene (object count, component count, unique type counts, max depth, etc.)

Search & Query

Tool	What it does
`find_game_objects_by_tag`	Find all active GameObjects with a given tag
`find_game_objects_by_component`	Find all scene objects that have a given component type
`find_game_objects_by_layer`	Find all scene objects on a given layer by name
`query_game_objects`	Find GameObjects matching compound filters
`find_game_objects_by_path`	Find GameObjects by hierarchy path prefix

Console

Tool	What it does
`log_to_console`	Emit a message to the Unity Console (`info`, `warning`, or `error`)
`get_console_logs`	Read buffered console entries with per-entry `phase` field (`normal`, `reloadTeardown`, `reloadStartup`); filterable by type, capped by `max_results`; includes `reloadWindowEntryCount`
`clear_console`	Clear all console log entries

Editor State & Control

Tool	What it does
`get_editor_state`	Current editor flags and main-thread responsiveness; returns a limited blocked state with `blockedByModalDialogLikely` if Unity is not processing editor updates
`get_project_settings`	Read-only snapshot of key project settings (version, build target, color space, physics gravity, etc.)
`set_play_mode`	Enter, exit, pause, unpause, or step play mode
`execute_menu_item`	Execute any Editor menu item by full path (e.g. `Assets/Refresh`)
`get_selection`	Return the current Editor selection (scene objects and/or asset paths)
`set_selection`	Set the Editor selection to specific GameObjects and/or asset paths

Undo

Tool	What it does
`begin_undo_group`	Open a named Unity Undo group
`end_undo_group`	Collapse operations into the current Undo group
`undo`	Perform one or more Undo steps
`redo`	Perform one or more Redo steps
`get_undo_stack`	Return current Undo and Redo stack entry names

Build & Player Settings

Tool	What it does
`get_build_settings`	Build Settings snapshot: active target, scripting backend, and full scene list
`set_build_scenes`	Replace the Build Settings scene list with an ordered list of scene paths
`get_player_settings`	Read Player Settings for a build target group (Standalone, Android, iOS, WebGL)
`set_player_settings`	Write Player Settings fields; only non-null fields are changed
`set_build_target`	Switch the active build target (blocks the main thread on large projects)

Test Runner

Tool	What it does
`run_tests`	Start a Unity Test Runner execution. `filter` is a case-sensitive substring of a test name or full name; a filter matching no tests returns an error. The response includes `runId` and `matchedCount` (null when no filter is given)
`get_test_results`	Return results from the most recent test run, with `runId`, `startedAt` and `finishedAt`. A domain reload during a run resets them to null with empty results, which means the run was lost
`get_test_list`	List available Unity tests

Animation

Tool	What it does
`get_animator_info`	Read Animator Controller parameters and state information
`set_animator_parameter`	Set an Animator parameter in play mode
`list_animation_clips`	List AnimationClip assets in the project

Supported Hosts

Host	Setup
Antigravity CLI (agy)	Automatic
Claude Code (Anthropic CLI)	Automatic (`~/.claude.json`)
Claude Desktop	Automatic
Cursor	Automatic
Visual Studio Code	Automatic
GitHub Copilot (VS Code)	Linked via VS Code config
Gemini CLI	Automatic
JetBrains Rider / Junie	Automatic
Codex CLI	Automatic

The setup window also detects stale entries, missing hosts, and provides a clean Remove Patina From Hosts action.

Troubleshooting

If a Patina call reports EDITOR_BLOCKED, or mentions that Unity may be waiting on a modal dialog, check the Unity Editor for a save-changes prompt or other blocking popup. Patina cannot safely run queued editor commands while Unity is waiting for user input. Resolve the Unity prompt, then retry the MCP command or run patina_health with {"include_unity_state": true}.

Prefab Stage Save Dialogs

Patina addresses dirty prefab stages by responding to the save question programmatically rather than blocking on a modal. When you call close_prefab_stage, the save_changes parameter directly determines the outcome: true saves, false (default) discards changes. This applies only to that command call and does not alter Editor behavior when a human is working manually.

Once a modal dialog appears, Unity's main thread is blocked and remains blocked until a human closes it. Every queued command processes through the same blocked thread, so prevention is the only real solution. For agent-written editor scripts, the safe pattern is to write prefabs using PrefabUtility.LoadPrefabContents, apply changes to a SerializedObject, save with PrefabUtility.SaveAsPrefabAsset, then PrefabUtility.UnloadPrefabContents. This approach never opens a prefab stage. If a stage must be opened, close it with close_prefab_stage. Leaving a dirty stage and manually calling StageUtility.GoToMainStage() will lock the Editor.

Unity offers a startup flag, -automated, which disables dialogs process-wide. While this may be suitable for an Editor driven entirely by agents, it creates problems in hybrid workflows where a human and agent share the same Editor: unsaved changes trigger no prompts, and some operations silently cancel. Patina does not require -automated. Per-command dialog answering works reliably without it and behaves correctly even in an Editor opened with -automated.

To check the current Editor state and dialog automation status, call patina_health and examine broker.sessions[].automated in the default output, or isAutomatedMode and dialogAutomationAvailable when passing {"include_unity_state": true}.

Roadmap

Phase	Focus
Phase 1 ✓	Core tools: console, hierarchy, object creation
Phase 2 ✓	Expanded coverage: scene management, asset operations, component editing
Phase 3 (current)	Distribution and reach: Git URL installation docs, package layout, release pipeline

Local Development

Contributor source checkout

Use this when you are editing unity-package/ or rust-server/ directly from the repository:

Point Unity at the local package checkout.
- file:<your-clone-path>/unity-package
Build the Rust server.

cd rust-server && cargo build --release

Publish the current binary into the local development runtime path.

# Windows
pwsh -File scripts/publish-dev-runtime.ps1

# macOS / Linux
./scripts/publish-dev-runtime.sh

In Unity, open Window > Patina Unity MCP, enable Use Local Runtime (Contributor), and click One-Click Setup.

This writes host configs against the local dev runtime instead of the managed packaged runtime. Re-run One-Click Setup after every new cargo build --release + publish-dev-runtime pass, and use Remove Patina From Hosts before switching back to the packaged flow.

Stage a local UPM test package

Use this when you want to test the package as it will be published, not the raw source checkout:

pwsh -File scripts/stage-local-upm.ps1

Then add the staged package from disk in Unity:

dist/local-upm/com.taygunsavas.patina-unity-mcp/package.json

Prefer the staged local package when you are validating package layout, import behavior, or release packaging. Prefer the source checkout path when you are actively editing source and want the fastest edit-build-run loop.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full contributor workflow.

Community and Contributing

Start with CONTRIBUTING.md for the local development loop, validation expectations, and pull request guidance.
Use GitHub issue forms for reproducible bugs, feature proposals, and usage questions so maintainers get the context they need.
Read .github/SUPPORT.md before opening a help request.
Read .github/SECURITY.md for private vulnerability reporting.
Read .github/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md before participating in issues and pull requests.
Pull requests targeting main are expected to pass CI and go through CODEOWNERS + Copilot review once repository rules are enabled.

Requirements

Unity 6 (6000.3 LTS+)
A supported MCP host
Rust 1.75+ (contributors only)

License

MIT