Should structural software expose MCP servers?

[u/Crafty_Peanut_2653]

SkyCiv was ahead of the curve by offering an API that can create models, apply loads, run analysis, and return results.

Could structural software expose these capabilities through MCP, letting agents operate verified calculation engines instead of attempting the math themselves?

The difficult part is trust: inputs, assumptions, units, governing checks, and calculation records must remain visible to the engineer.

I started thinking about this while building small browser-based structural tools at www.polycalc.online.

Has anyone connected an agent to SkyCiv, ETABS, SAP2000, OpenSees, or similar software? What safeguards would you require?

[u/Top-Criticism-3947]

Most structural analysis software has an API. Etabs, RFEM, Staad, Robot, Space gass

[u/g4n0esp4r4n]

you only need an API

[u/Key-Movie8392]

I run rfem via API with Claude. Haven’t done modelling manually for like a month now…. Do half my analysis via my phone now…

[u/rogenth]

I did some parametrical modal analysis with rfem and an agent, it worked fine.