CarMaker

Name: CarMaker
Author: dimitr-io

by dimitr-ioversion 0.3.0i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.dimitr-io/carmaker-mcp

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Drive IPG CarMaker for Simulink: run test runs, read results, edit vehicle data and parameters.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other
You need to fill in: CM_PROJECT

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: CM_PROJECT, CM_MODEL, CM_MATLAB_SESSION, CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT, CM_ENABLE, CM_DISABLE

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carmaker": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "carmaker-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CM_PROJECT": "your-value",
        "CM_MODEL": "your-value",
        "CM_MATLAB_SESSION": "your-value",
        "CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT": "your-value",
        "CM_ENABLE": "your-value",
        "CM_DISABLE": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add carmaker --env CM_PROJECT=your-value --env CM_MODEL=your-value --env CM_MATLAB_SESSION=your-value --env CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT=your-value --env CM_ENABLE=your-value --env CM_DISABLE=your-value -- uvx carmaker-mcp

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carmaker": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "carmaker-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CM_PROJECT": "your-value",
        "CM_MODEL": "your-value",
        "CM_MATLAB_SESSION": "your-value",
        "CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT": "your-value",
        "CM_ENABLE": "your-value",
        "CM_DISABLE": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "carmaker": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "carmaker-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CM_PROJECT": "your-value",
        "CM_MODEL": "your-value",
        "CM_MATLAB_SESSION": "your-value",
        "CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT": "your-value",
        "CM_ENABLE": "your-value",
        "CM_DISABLE": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

CM_PROJECT required env
CarMaker project folder. All writes are confined to it.
CM_MODEL env
Simulink model that cm_session_start opens (name on the MATLAB path, or a file).
CM_MATLAB_SESSION env
Name under which MATLAB shares its engine.
CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT env
Seconds after which CarMaker GUI pop-ups answer themselves with their default choice. Not set: they wait for a click.
CM_ENABLE env
Optional tools, comma separated: tcl (raw Tcl in the GUI), experimental (Simulink structure edits).
CM_DISABLE env
Tool groups to switch off, comma separated: standalone, study, matlab.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 8, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account dimitr-io, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 18374 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 86% of the other 18374 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 18374 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is CarMaker safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

You need to fill in: CM_PROJECT

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.3.0) reached the registry 6 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, Happo

Alternatives

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Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

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Runs on your computer★ 440MITUpdated 14 months ago

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Remote Desktop Commander

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Runs in the cloud★ 211Updated 2 days ago

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Happo

by happo.io

Review Happo's visual and accessibility diffs: inspect comparisons, accept or reject, report flakes.

Runs in the cloudUpdated today

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

carmaker-mcp

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6093b1a3-8ef5-43ef-8134-b214d534720f

*Claude Desktop with this server (CarMaker without MATLAB, IPGMovie open) and MathWorks' MATLAB MCP server for the figure. A 68-run sweep of the driver's limits on a Formula Student skid pad; the agent's work is shown 30 times faster.*

The prompt in the video

Open Carmaker (standalone) and run Skidpad tests with the Rhea vehicle (torque vectoring disabled). Run a

parameter sweep for the IPGDriver's lateral acceleration limits and gg exponents to get the best lap time.

Open IPGMovie first so I can see the runs. Evaluate lap time based on the average time between the second

lap on the right and the second lap on the left. Plot out the yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the

best run using MATLAB (MCP).

An MCP server that lets an AI agent drive IPG CarMaker on your computer: start a session, run test runs and parameter studies, read and plot the results, change vehicle, driver and Simulink controller parameters, and undo what it changed.

Unofficial community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by IPG Automotive or MathWorks. You need your

own CarMaker and MATLAB/Simulink licences. This repository contains no IPG or MathWorks code or data.

Status: alpha. Developed and tested on one setup (CarMaker 14.1.1, MATLAB R2024b, Windows 11). docs/verification.md lists what has been checked against real software and what has not.

What it does

Things you can ask an agent once the server is connected:

"Run the braking test run and tell me the stopping distance."
"Set Kp_yaw to 1.5 in the controller model, run the slalom again and compare the yaw rate."
"Try the lane change with a vehicle mass of 280, 300 and 320 kg and tabulate the lateral acceleration."
"Sweep the driver's lateral acceleration limit and g-g exponents on the skid pad and give me the best lap time." (lap times come from the test run's own timing markers, as CarMaker's instrument shows them)
"Plot the yaw rate of the last two runs over distance."
"The car got heavier. Run a driver adaption, then the autocross again."
"The last run aborted. Why?"
"Undo everything you changed."

Runs go at CarMaker's maximum speed unless you ask for a slower one. Parameter studies run in the background, one run after another, with IPGMovie open if you want to watch. The server also teaches the agent how IPGDriver works (cm_guide): which driver to choose, how its limits and g-g exponents set the lap time, and when a driver adaption is worth its minutes.

It works in two ways, and the agent picks the one that fits the vehicle:

	MATLAB-connected session	Standalone run
Use it for	vehicles whose controller is a Simulink model (CarMaker for Simulink)	vehicles with CarMaker's built-in controllers
Needs	MATLAB with your model, and the CarMaker GUI (the server can start both)	only CarMaker; no MATLAB, no window (IPGMovie on request)

Not covered: Linux, TruckMaker and MotorcycleMaker, CarMaker HIL, Test Manager and test series, building roads, traffic or scenarios, Movie NX, result formats other than .erg, and remote machines. The full list is in docs/scope.md, and more worked examples are in docs/examples.md.

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11
IPG CarMaker with its Python API (developed on 14.1.1)
For the MATLAB-connected session: CarMaker for Simulink and MATLAB R2022b or newer, as far as your CarMaker supports it (only R2024b has been tested)
uv (it fetches the server and its Python environment; pip also works)
An MCP client: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Codex, Antigravity, Cursor, ...

Setup

1. Check your machine. This finds your CarMaker and MATLAB installs, tells you what does not fit and how to fix it, and prints the uvx arguments for your machine:

uvx carmaker-mcp doctor

2. Register the server. This prints the entry for your client, with those arguments filled in:

uvx carmaker-mcp config --client claude-code     # or claude-desktop, vscode, codex, antigravity, cursor

For most clients the entry looks like this:

"mcpServers": { "carmaker": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["--python", "3.12", "--with", "matlabengine==24.2.*", "carmaker-mcp"], "env": { "CM_PROJECT": "C:\\CM_Projects\\my-project", "CM_MODEL": "MyModel" } } } }

In Claude Desktop you can instead drag the .mcpb bundle for your MATLAB release from the latest release into Settings > Extensions; uv must be installed. docs/setup.md has the steps for each client and the versions that belong to each MATLAB release.

3. Start a session. Ask the agent, for example "start CarMaker and run the braking test run". It opens MATLAB, your model and the CarMaker GUI as far as they are not open yet, and never closes anything. Standalone runs need neither. If you would rather open MATLAB and CarMaker yourself, run this once per MATLAB session so that the server can attach:

matlab.engine.shareEngine('cm_mcp')

Settings

Settings are environment variables in the client entry. These are the ones you are likely to need; docs/setup.md has the rest.

Variable	Default	Meaning
`CM_PROJECT`	read from the running CarMaker GUI	CarMaker project folder. The server writes nowhere else. Needed to start a session from scratch
`CM_MODEL`	none	Simulink model to open when a session is started
`CM_MATLAB_INIT`	none	Your project's own MATLAB setup script, run once when a session is started. Without it the model may not compile
`CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT`	not set	Seconds after which CarMaker pop-ups answer themselves with their default choice. Not set: they wait for your click. See Safety
`CM_DISABLE`	none	Tool groups to switch off, for a shorter tool list: `standalone`, `study`, `matlab`, `movie`
`CM_ENABLE`	none	Optional tools to switch on: `tcl` (raw Tcl in the CarMaker GUI), `experimental` (add and delete Simulink blocks)

Tools

Session and runs: start MATLAB and CarMaker, check the setup, load, start, stop and follow runs, read the session log and GUI pop-ups.
Results: summaries, time series, lap and sector times, IPGControl plots, MAT and CSV export, IPGMovie pictures.
Project data and parameters: list, read, compare, edit and copy project files, workspace and Simulink parameters, parameter studies, driver adaption.
Standalone runs: launch, follow and close independent CarMaker programs, without MATLAB.
History: what a session changed, undo it, restore an earlier session.

Each tool tells the client whether it is read-only, changes state or is destructive, so that clients can ask for confirmation where it matters. Every tool and parameter is described in docs/tools.md.

Using it with the MATLAB MCP server

For CarMaker for Simulink work it is worth connecting MathWorks' MATLAB MCP Core Server as well: this server handles CarMaker, and that one writes and runs MATLAB code. Let both work on the same MATLAB session, in the release CarMaker uses. What is changed through the MATLAB server is not in this server's change log, and cm_revert_all does not undo it. More in docs/setup.md.

Safety and privacy

This server can start simulations and edit your project files and the live Simulink model in place. Connect it only to agents you trust.

What protects your work:

Every file is backed up before its first change, every change is logged with its old value, and cm_revert_all undoes a session.
Files are only written inside the project folder, and only while the simulation is idle. No tool deletes project files.
Raw Tcl and Simulink structure edits are off unless you switch them on with CM_ENABLE.
CarMaker pop-ups wait for your click by default. If you set CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT, a question such as "Vehicle not saved. All changes will be lost. OK to continue?" is answered with its default, which discards unsaved changes in the CarMaker GUI.

Runs write result and log files into the project's SimOutput folder; a revert does not remove those.

The server collects no telemetry and makes no network connections of its own. It only talks to MATLAB and CarMaker on your machine. Details: docs/safety.md.

Troubleshooting

Run uvx carmaker-mcp doctor first: it names most setup problems together with their fix.

Symptom	Cause and fix
"No shared MATLAB session"	MATLAB is closed or has not shared its engine. Let the agent start the session, or run `matlab.engine.shareEngine('cm_mcp')` in MATLAB
`uvx` fails while installing `matlabengine`	The pin must match your MATLAB release, and that MATLAB must be installed. Use the arguments `doctor` prints
"CarMaker ships no cmapi for Python 3.x"	Add `--python 3.12` (or another version the message lists)
A tool call hangs at load or start	The CarMaker GUI is showing a question. Answer it, or see `CM_POPUP_TIMEOUT`
"too many licenses in use" on a standalone run	Another CarMaker program holds the licence: an open MATLAB with CarMaker for Simulink, or a standalone program the server left open
"license has expired"	The licence must be renewed; `doctor` shows its end date
The wait tool returns `finished: false`	Not an error: waits are limited to 50 s per call and are simply repeated

More: docs/troubleshooting.md. The server's own log is server.log in the state folder.

How it works

MATLAB-connected session: the server attaches to your MATLAB through the MATLAB Engine for Python and sends commands to the CarMaker GUI through CarMaker for Simulink's own cmguicmd.
Standalone runs: it uses IPG's Python API cmapi, loaded from your CarMaker install, to start and control a separate CarMaker process.
Project files are edited by a byte-preserving editor for CarMaker's infofile format, and results are read by a NumPy reader for .erg files (checked against MATLAB's cmread).

Nothing of IPG's or MathWorks' is bundled or redistributed.

Documentation and contributing

Setup in detail
Example sessions
Tools reference
What is verified
What it does not cover
Contributing: test reports from other CarMaker and MATLAB versions are especially welcome
Security policy

Related work: [pycarmaker](https://git

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

CarMaker

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

Happo

README from the maker

carmaker-mcp

What it does

Requirements

Setup

Settings

Tools

Using it with the MATLAB MCP server

Safety and privacy

Troubleshooting

How it works

Documentation and contributing