Blender 3D Network Visualization

Create stunning 3D network topology visualizations in Blender from CDP/LLDP neighbor data. Network engineers can request topology drawings via natural language, and NetClaw translates neighbor discovery data into 3D rendering commands.

When to Use

• Visualizing network topology in 3D for presentations
• Creating topology diagrams from CDP/LLDP neighbor data
• Exporting network diagrams as PNG images
• Customizing device colors and adding labels
• Demonstrating network architecture to stakeholders

MCP Server

• Server: blender-mcp (community MCP via uvx)
• Command: uvx blender-mcp (stdio transport)
• Host: Windows running Blender with BlenderMCP addon (port 9876)
• Requirements: Blender 3.0+, BlenderMCP addon installed and connected

Available Tools

| Tool | Parameters | What It Does | |------|------------|--------------| | get_scene_info | None | Returns current Blender scene objects | | create_object | type, name, location, scale | Creates primitives (cube, sphere, cylinder) | | modify_object | name, position?, rotation?, scale? | Transform position/rotation/scale | | set_material | object_name, color, metallic?, roughness? | Apply colors and materials | | execute_blender_code | code | Run arbitrary Python in Blender |

Workflow Examples

Draw Network Topology

bash
# Draw topology from CDP/LLDP data
"Draw the network topology in Blender using CDP data"

# Visualize neighbors for a specific device
"Visualize the CDP neighbors for core-rtr-01 in 3D"

# Create diagram from LLDP data
"Create a 3D network diagram from the LLDP data"

# Quick topology request
"Show me the network topology in Blender"

Export Visualization

bash
# Export as PNG
"Export the Blender scene as topology.png"

# Save the diagram
"Save the network diagram as a PNG file"

# Render to image
"Render the topology to an image"

Customize Visualization

bash
# Color customization
"Color router-1 red"
"Make all switches purple"
"Change the color of the firewalls to orange"

# Add labels
"Add labels to all devices"
"Label each device with its hostname"

# Highlighting
"Highlight router-1"
"Make core-rtr-01 stand out"

Scene Management

bash
# Clear scene
"Clear the Blender scene"
"Reset the 3D view"

# Query scene
"What objects are in the Blender scene?"
"List the devices in Blender"

Device Color Mapping

| Device Type | Color | RGB | |-------------|-------|-----| | Router | Blue | (0.2, 0.4, 0.8) | | Switch | Green | (0.2, 0.7, 0.3) | | Firewall | Red | (0.8, 0.2, 0.2) | | Access Point | Yellow | (0.9, 0.8, 0.2) | | Unknown | Gray | (0.5, 0.5, 0.5) |

Device types are inferred from hostnames:

• Contains "rtr" or "router" → Router
• Contains "sw" or "switch" → Switch
• Contains "fw" or "firewall" or "asa" → Firewall
• Contains "ap" or "wap" or "wireless" → Access Point

Integration with Other Skills

• pyats-run: Query CDP/LLDP neighbor data from live devices
• suzieq-show: Query network state from SuzieQ observability platform
• canvas-a2ui: Alternative 2D visualization in chat

Error Handling

| Error Code | Meaning | Resolution | |------------|---------|------------| | CONNECTION_FAILED | Blender not running or addon not connected | Start Blender, click 'Connect to Claude' in BlenderMCP panel | | ADDON_NOT_READY | Addon not connected | Press 'N' in Blender, find BlenderMCP tab, click 'Connect' | | NO_CDP_DATA | No neighbor data available | Query network devices first via pyats-run or suzieq-show | | TIMEOUT | First command may timeout | This is normal - retry the same command | | EXPORT_FAILED | Export failed (window minimized) | Ensure Blender window is visible |

Notes

• Read-only operations - no ServiceNow CR gating required
• Maximum 25 devices rendered per topology (performance limit)
• First command may timeout - subsequent commands are faster
• Requires Windows running Blender (WSL connectivity to Windows host)
• All operations logged to GAIT audit trail