Content
# MCP OpenVision
[](https://github.com/Nazruden/mcp-openvision/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://pypi.org/project/mcp-openvision/)
[](https://pypi.org/project/mcp-openvision/)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
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[](https://smithery.ai/server/@Nazruden/mcp-openvision)
## Overview
MCP OpenVision is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides image analysis capabilities powered by OpenRouter vision models. It enables AI assistants to analyze images via a simple interface within the MCP ecosystem.
## Installation
### Installing via Smithery
To install mcp-openvision for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@Nazruden/mcp-openvision):
```bash
npx -y @smithery/cli install @Nazruden/mcp-openvision --client claude
```
### Using pip
```bash
pip install mcp-openvision
```
### Using UV (recommended)
```bash
uv pip install mcp-openvision
```
## Configuration
MCP OpenVision requires an OpenRouter API key and can be configured through environment variables:
- **OPENROUTER_API_KEY** (required): Your OpenRouter API key
- **OPENROUTER_DEFAULT_MODEL** (optional): The vision model to use
### OpenRouter Vision Models
MCP OpenVision works with any OpenRouter model that supports vision capabilities. The default model is `qwen/qwen2.5-vl-32b-instruct:free`, but you can specify any other compatible model.
Some popular vision models available through OpenRouter include:
- `qwen/qwen2.5-vl-32b-instruct:free` (default)
- `anthropic/claude-3-5-sonnet`
- `anthropic/claude-3-opus`
- `anthropic/claude-3-sonnet`
- `openai/gpt-4o`
You can specify custom models by setting the `OPENROUTER_DEFAULT_MODEL` environment variable or by passing the `model` parameter directly to the `image_analysis` function.
## Usage
### Testing with MCP Inspector
The easiest way to test MCP OpenVision is with the MCP Inspector tool:
```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx mcp-openvision
```
### Integration with Claude Desktop or Cursor
1. Edit your MCP configuration file:
- Windows: `%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json`
- macOS: `~/.cursor/mcp.json` or `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
2. Add the following configuration:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"openvision": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-openvision"],
"env": {
"OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "your_openrouter_api_key_here",
"OPENROUTER_DEFAULT_MODEL": "anthropic/claude-3-sonnet"
}
}
}
}
```
### Running Locally for Development
```bash
# Set the required API key
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your_api_key"
# Run the server module directly
python -m mcp_openvision
```
## Features
MCP OpenVision provides the following core tool:
- **image_analysis**: Analyze images with vision models, supporting various parameters:
- `image`: Can be provided as:
- Base64-encoded image data
- Image URL (http/https)
- Local file path
- `query`: User instruction for the image analysis task
- `system_prompt`: Instructions that define the model's role and behavior (optional)
- `model`: Vision model to use
- `temperature`: Controls randomness (0.0-1.0)
- `max_tokens`: Maximum response length
### Crafting Effective Queries
The `query` parameter is crucial for getting useful results from the image analysis. A well-crafted query provides context about:
1. **Purpose**: Why you're analyzing this image
2. **Focus areas**: Specific elements or details to pay attention to
3. **Required information**: The type of information you need to extract
4. **Format preferences**: How you want the results structured
#### Examples of Effective Queries
| Basic Query | Enhanced Query |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Describe this image" | "Identify all retail products visible in this store shelf image and estimate their price range" |
| "What's in this image?" | "Analyze this medical scan for abnormalities, focusing on the highlighted area and providing possible diagnoses" |
| "Analyze this chart" | "Extract the numerical data from this bar chart showing quarterly sales, and identify the key trends from 2022-2023" |
| "Read the text" | "Transcribe all visible text in this restaurant menu, preserving the item names, descriptions, and prices" |
By providing context about why you need the analysis and what specific information you're seeking, you help the model focus on relevant details and produce more valuable insights.
### Example Usage
```python
# Analyze an image from a URL
result = await image_analysis(
image="https://example.com/image.jpg",
query="Describe this image in detail"
)
# Analyze an image from a local file with a focused query
result = await image_analysis(
image="path/to/local/image.jpg",
query="Identify all traffic signs in this street scene and explain their meanings for a driver education course"
)
# Analyze with a base64-encoded image and a specific analytical purpose
result = await image_analysis(
image="SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=...", # base64 data
query="Examine this product packaging design and highlight elements that could be improved for better visibility and brand recognition"
)
# Customize the system prompt for specialized analysis
result = await image_analysis(
image="path/to/local/image.jpg",
query="Analyze the composition and artistic techniques used in this painting, focusing on how they create emotional impact",
system_prompt="You are an expert art historian with deep knowledge of painting techniques and art movements. Focus on formal analysis of composition, color, brushwork, and stylistic elements."
)
```
## Image Input Types
The `image_analysis` tool accepts several types of image inputs:
1. **Base64-encoded strings**
2. **Image URLs** - must start with http:// or https://
3. **File paths**:
- **Absolute paths**: full paths starting with / (Unix) or drive letter (Windows)
- **Relative paths**: paths relative to the current working directory
- **Relative paths with project_root**: use the `project_root` parameter to specify a base directory
### Using Relative Paths
When using relative file paths (like "examples/image.jpg"), you have two options:
1. The path must be relative to the current working directory where the server is running
2. Or, you can specify a `project_root` parameter:
```python
# Example with relative path and project_root
result = await image_analysis(
image="examples/image.jpg",
project_root="/path/to/your/project",
query="What is in this image?"
)
```
This is particularly useful in applications where the current working directory may not be predictable or when you want to reference files using paths relative to a specific directory.
## Development
### Setup Development Environment
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/mcp-openvision.git
cd mcp-openvision
# Install development dependencies
pip install -e ".[dev]"
```
### Code Formatting
This project uses Black for automatic code formatting. The formatting is enforced through GitHub Actions:
- All code pushed to the repository is automatically formatted with Black
- For pull requests from repository collaborators, Black formats the code and commits directly to the PR branch
- For pull requests from forks, Black creates a new PR with the formatted code that can be merged into the original PR
You can also run Black locally to format your code before committing:
```bash
# Format all Python code in the src and tests directories
black src tests
```
### Run Tests
```bash
pytest
```
### Release Process
This project uses an automated release process:
1. Update the version in `pyproject.toml` following [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) principles
- You can use the helper script: `python scripts/bump_version.py [major|minor|patch]`
2. Update the `CHANGELOG.md` with details about the new version
- The script also creates a template entry in CHANGELOG.md that you can fill in
3. Commit and push these changes to the `main` branch
4. The GitHub Actions workflow will:
- Detect the version change
- Automatically create a new GitHub release
- Trigger the publishing workflow that publishes to PyPI
This automation helps maintain a consistent release process and ensures that every release is properly versioned and documented.
## Support
If you find this project helpful, consider buying me a coffee to support ongoing development and maintenance.
<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nazruden" target="_blank">
<img src="https://img.buymeacoffee.com/button-api/?text=Buy me a coffee&emoji=&slug=nazruden&button_colour=FFDD00&font_colour=000000&font_family=Lato&outline_colour=000000&coffee_colour=ffffff" alt="Buy Me A Coffee" width="217" height="60">
</a>
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
