Ask in plain words
One sentence was enough. Cursor found Kiln’s ready-made Raspberry Pi case, sized it to the board, and made the base and the lid.
Kiln in Cursor
Design 3D prints from Cursor.
Kiln gives Cursor what it needs to design a part, check it will print, and show it to you in 3D, without leaving Cursor.
It opens right beside the chat
Kiln makes the part and hands Cursor a 3D view. Cursor opens it in its own browser pane, so you see what you asked for before anything prints.
Change it in the same chat
Say what to change, like a honeycomb lid, and the new version opens in 3D in the next reply. Drag it around to check every side.
A check before it prints
Kiln checks the part will print and flags what is likely to go wrong, before any plastic is spent. With Kiln Pro, it also says exactly what to change.
Works the same in Cursor’s terminal agent, where Kiln hands back a link to the 3D view. The link lasts about half an hour. Starting and watching a print needs Kiln installed on the computer next to your printer.
An example conversation
Design a parametric Raspberry Pi 4 case with Kiln and show it to me in 3D.
The case opens in 3D beside the chat
Here it is: base and lid side by side, sized to the Pi 4 board. Want thicker walls, more room for a HAT, or the vents off?
Make the lid’s top a honeycomb vent grille: hexagonal holes cut through the lid with solid ribs between them.
The new lid opens in 3D
Done. The hex holes go all the way through the lid, with solid ribs and a solid border around them.
What Kiln adds
Cursor can write the code. Kiln turns it into a part.
The same job both ways, from a description to a part on your printer.
| Step | Cursor on its own | Cursor with Kiln |
|---|---|---|
| Make it | Writes CAD code. Seeing the shape takes a CAD program on your computer. | Kiln builds the model and opens it in 3D beside the chat. |
| Check it | A problem shows up in the slicer, or partway through the print. | Kiln checks overhangs, thin walls, warping risk, and whether it fits your printer, before anything prints. |
| Change it | Ask again and get new code. Keeping track of which version was better is on you. | Ask for a change in the same chat, and Kiln keeps every try tied to what you first asked for. Pro makes it Git for 3D: what changed, drawn on the part, and a branch for the risky idea. |
| Slice it | Export the file, open your slicer, and pick the settings. | Kiln slices it in the slicer you already have: PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, or Bambu Studio.Kiln on your computer |
| Print it | Send the file to your printer yourself. | Cursor sends it to your printer, and it starts only after you say yes.Kiln on your computer |
| Watch it | Check on it in the printer’s own app. | Kiln watches every print it starts and stops it if a heater fails. Watch it live on kiln3d.com/monitor, with the camera, progress, and pause and stop, or ask Cursor how it’s going.Kiln on your computer |
| More printers | You run each one yourself. | Business runs several at once and picks the printer for each job. Free and Pro drive one at a time. |
Steps marked “Kiln on your computer” need Kiln installed on the computer next to your printer. The camera shows when your printer has one. A print can still fail, with Kiln or without it; Kiln catches what it can see before the print starts, and asks before it uses your plastic.
Set it up
Two minutes in Cursor. Nothing to install until you want your own printer in the loop.
Add Kiln to Cursor
Paste this into Cursor’s MCP file, ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or a project’s .cursor/mcp.json to keep it to one project.
{ "mcpServers": { "kiln": { "url": "https://api.kiln3d.com/mcp" } } }Sign in to Kiln
In Cursor, open Customize, then MCPs. Kiln shows Needs authentication: click Authenticate, then sign in or make a free account. How the connector works.
Ask for what you want
Describe a part in a new chat. Kiln designs it, checks it, and Cursor opens it in 3D beside the chat.
To print, add your printer
Install Kiln on the computer next to your printer, and Cursor can run it there as a local server. Install Kiln. See the printers Kiln works with.
Before it prints, Kiln asks you
A print uses real plastic on a real machine, so Cursor can’t start one alone. Kiln shows you the model first, then waits for your yes before every print, and nothing prints without it.
Questions
Can Cursor 3D print?
Yes, with Kiln. Describe a part in Cursor; Kiln designs it, checks it will print, and opens it in a 3D view beside the chat. To print, install Kiln on the computer next to your printer; Cursor then sends the print there and you approve it. Tested in the Cursor app and its terminal agent.
Can Cursor make 3D models?
Yes. With Kiln connected, Cursor turns a plain description into a real 3D model you can turn over, measure and change in the same chat, then print or download. No CAD skills needed.
What does Kiln add to Cursor?
Cursor can write the code for a 3D model. Kiln builds it, opens it in 3D beside the chat, checks it will print (overhangs, thin walls, warping, and whether it fits your printer), slices it in your own slicer, and sends it to your printer after you say yes.
Which model works best with Kiln in Cursor?
Whichever is most capable in Cursor’s model menu. Cursor offers models from several companies; pick the strongest one there. Kiln does the checking and the printing; the model does the thinking, so a stronger model means better designs and fewer retries.
How do I connect Cursor to my 3D printer?
Add Kiln inside Cursor by its address, https://api.kiln3d.com/mcp, and sign in. Nothing to install. The setup steps on this page take a few minutes.
Do I need a 3D printer?
No. With the connector, Cursor can design a part and Kiln checks it will print without one. You need a printer, or someone else’s, to make it.
Does it work in Cursor’s terminal agent?
Yes. The terminal agent reads the same mcp.json. Sign in to Kiln with agent mcp login kiln from the folder you work in: the terminal agent keeps that sign-in per folder.
Does the 3D model show inside the chat?
In the Cursor version we tested, Cursor opened Kiln’s 3D view in its own browser pane, right beside the chat. Kiln also hands back a link that opens the same view in any browser for about half an hour.
Will it print without asking me?
No. A print needs Kiln installed on the computer next to your printer, and Kiln waits for your yes before every print. Auto-print is off unless you turn it on.
Which printers does it work with?
Bambu Lab, Creality, Prusa, Elegoo, and most Klipper and OctoPrint machines. The full list is on the supported printers page.
Is Kiln made by Cursor?
No. Kiln is independent, open-source software you can use from Cursor. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anysphere, the company that makes Cursor.
Add Kiln to Cursor →Using ChatGPT? →Using Claude? →Using Codex? →Using Gemini? →Using Grok? →Using OpenClaw? →
Kiln is independent, open-source software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anysphere, the company that makes Cursor.