About three.ws Vision
three.ws Vision is an MCP server for AI assistants that need to analyze or describe images. It accepts public image URLs or base64 data and provides read-only image tools through the three.ws vision pipeline, without requiring a provider key.
Key features
- 01Answer prompts about images
- 02Describe images for captions or alt text
- 03Check provider status and accepted formats
- 04Accept URLs or base64 image data
Use cases
- 01Read text in screenshots
- 02Identify elements in a scene
- 03Review 3D or avatar renders
- 04Create image alt text
MCP support
Exposes `analyze_image`, `describe_image`, and `get_vision_status` as read-only tools to MCP clients over stdio. The tools send image requests to the three.ws vision pipeline.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
npx -y @three-ws/vision-mcpTHREE_WS_BASEBase URL of the three.ws API that serves the vision endpoint. Override only when self-hosting or targeting a preview deployment.THREE_WS_TIMEOUT_MSPer-request timeout in milliseconds for the vision call (the VLM may chain across free lanes before answering).THREE_WS_API_KEYSecretOptional three.ws API key (bearer token). Not required — the vision endpoint serves anonymous callers on a free per-IP rate limit. Set it to raise your rate limit to the per-user tier. Never needed to access the free model.Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.
Tools
3Saved tool list · updated 2w ago
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| image | string | No | The image as raw base64 or a `data:image/...;base64,...` URI. Provide this OR `imageUrl`, not both. |
| prompt | string | Yes | The question or instruction about the image (what to extract, read, classify, or critique). |
| imageUrl | string | No | Public https URL of the image to analyze. Provide this OR `image`, not both. |
| imageType | enum | No | MIME type of a raw base64 `image` (ignored for data URIs / `imageUrl`). Defaults to image/jpeg.image/jpeg | image/png | image/webp | image/gif |
| maxTokens | integer | No | Maximum tokens in the answer (16–2048). Higher = longer, more detailed reads. Default 512. |
Details
From the project README@three-ws/vision-mcp
Let any AI agent see — analyze and describe images through the three.ws vision pipeline, free-first and no key required.
A Model Context Protocol server that gives any AI assistant image understanding over stdio. Pass an image as a public URL or base64 and the agent can read the text in a screenshot, identify what's in a scene, critique a 3D/avatar render, or write alt-text — all live, read-only, no key required.
Every answer comes from the three.ws vision pipeline: free NVIDIA NIM vision models lead every request, with an automatic server-side paid backstop behind them. The caller never pays and needs no provider key — point THREE_WS_BASE at a deployment and go.
Install
npm install @three-ws/vision-mcp
Or run with npx (no install):
npx @three-ws/vision-mcp
Quick start
Claude Code, one line:
claude mcp add vision -- npx -y @three-ws/vision-mcp
Claude Desktop / Cursor (claude_desktop_config.json or mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vision": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@three-ws/vision-mcp"]
}
}
}
Inspect the surface with the MCP Inspector:
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx @three-ws/vision-mcp
Tools
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
analyze_image | read-only | Answer a prompt about an image — visual Q&A, OCR (read a screenshot), classification, or critiquing a render. |
describe_image | read-only | Natural-language description for alt text or a caption, steerable by detail level and focus. |
get_vision_status | read-only | Report whether a vision provider is live and which image formats are accepted. No image, no cost. |
All three tools are read-only — they look at an image, they never store or mutate anything. A VLM is non-deterministic and the live provider chain moves, so none are idempotent.
Input parameters
analyze_image — prompt (required), and exactly one of imageUrl (public https) or image (base64 / data URI). Optional imageType (for raw base64), maxTokens (16–2048, default 512).
describe_image — exactly one of imageUrl or image. Optional imageType, detail (brief | standard | detailed, default standard), focus (an aspect to emphasize).
get_vision_status — no parameters.
Example
// analyze_image: read the text in a logo image
> { "imageUrl": "https://three.ws/logo.png", "prompt": "What does this logo say?" }
{
"ok": true,
"text": "The logo reads \"three.ws\".",
"provider": "nvidia",
"model": "nvidia/nemotron-nano-12b-v2-vl",
"prompt": "What does this logo say?",
"image_source": "url"
}
// describe_image — alt text from a base64 image
> { "image": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KG...", "detail": "brief" }
{
"ok": true,
"description": "A seagull in profile against a blurred coastal background.",
"detail": "brief",
"provider": "nvidia",
"model": "nvidia/nemotron-nano-12b-v2-vl",
"image_source": "base64"
}
// get_vision_status — gate a "describe this" affordance
> {}
{
"ok": true,
"configured": true,
"image_types": ["image/jpeg", "image/png", "image/webp", "image/gif"],
"max_image_mb": 12
}
Examples
Runnable, key-free examples live in examples/:
node examples/list-tools.mjs # every tool with its full input schema
node examples/read-an-image.mjs # status + alt text + OCR on a live image
Both spawn this server over stdio and call the real vision pipeline. Every tool
is read-only, so nothing is stored and nothing is paid. See
examples/README.md for expected output.
Images may be JPEG, PNG, WebP, or GIF, up to 12 MB. Base64 inputs are size-checked locally before upload; imageUrl must be a public https URL (the vision server fetches it, so private/loopback hosts are rejected).
Pricing & auth
There is no charge to the caller and no key is needed. The platform runs every request against free NVIDIA NIM vision lanes first and falls back to a paid model only on its own infrastructure — that cost is the platform's, transparent to you.
The endpoint is rate-limited per IP. To raise your limit to the per-user tier, set the optional THREE_WS_API_KEY (a three.ws API key); it is sent as a bearer token. It is never required to use the free model.
Requirements
- Node.js >= 20.
- Network access to
https://three.ws(or your ownTHREE_WS_BASE).
Environment variables
| Variable | Required | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
THREE_WS_BASE | no | https://three.ws | Which deployment to call. |
THREE_WS_TIMEOUT_MS | no | 30000 | Per-request timeout (a call may chain across free lanes). |
THREE_WS_API_KEY | no | — | Optional bearer token to raise the rate limit to per-user. |
Links
- Homepage: https://three.ws
- Changelog: https://three.ws/changelog
- Issues: https://github.com/nirholas/three.ws/issues
- License: Apache-2.0, see LICENSE
Part of the three.ws SDK suite — 3D AI agents, on-chain identity, and agent payments.
Website · Changelog · GitHub
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.