PDMShell for Claude Code

Connect Claude Code to SOLIDWORKS PDM using the PDMShell MCP server installed on your Windows computer.

Install the plugin

In Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add BlueByteSystemsInc/pdmshell-claude
/plugin install pdmshell@bluebyte
/pdmshell:setup

Setup checks for PDMShell. If missing, it asks before downloading and opening the official signed installer. Complete that window, then reconnect PDMShell with /mcp or restart Claude Code. The plugin never installs software just because its MCP server starts.

You need native Windows, Node.js on PATH, the SOLIDWORKS PDM client and a local vault view. PDMShell licensing applies; ask Claude to check the license status. The PDM client is not installed by this plugin. Installing the shared vault add-in is optional and is not required for the MCP connection.

Then ask, for example:

Find drawings in my sandbox vault and show their file IDs and revisions. Do not change any files.

Existing or custom installations

The launcher uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\Blue Byte Systems\PDMShell\current\MCP\pdmcli.mcp.exe. It uses your installed PDMShell version and does not bundle the application or credentials.

For a custom location, set PDMSHELL_MCP_PATH to the full executable path before starting Claude Code. A missing override is reported rather than silently using another installation.

The setup check can also be run directly:

powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\plugins\pdmshell\scripts\Setup-PDMShell.ps1

Exit 0 means installed; 2 means missing; 1 means a setup error. Add -Install only when you want to download and open the installer. Setup verifies its Authenticode signature and Blue Byte Systems publisher before running it.

Troubleshooting

• MCP not installed: run /pdmshell:setup, complete installation, then reconnect using /mcp.
• No vault: install/configure the SOLIDWORKS PDM client and local vault view first.
• License message: follow the PDMShell license status result. Plugin installation does not activate Premium or bypass a trial limit.
• Signature or download failure: stop and contact support; do not bypass the signature check.
• WSL, macOS or Linux: use Claude Code natively on the Windows computer with PDM installed.

This package targets Claude Code. For Claude Desktop, use PDMShell's desktop setup guide. Publication here does not imply inclusion in Anthropic's curated directory.

Development

powershell.exe -NoProfile -File .\tests\Test-Plugin.ps1
claude plugin validate .
claude plugin validate .\plugins\pdmshell
claude --plugin-dir .\plugins\pdmshell

Tests do not install software or modify a vault. Application source and releases are maintained separately from this integration.