About NVEIL
NVEIL is a Python and command-line toolkit for turning natural-language requests into data processing plans and visualizations. It keeps raw data local and supports reproducible, reusable specs with offline rendering.
Key features
- 01Natural-language chart generation
- 02Local data processing
- 032D, 3D, geospatial, and scientific charts
- 04Plotly, VTK, and DeckGL rendering
- 05Reusable .nveil specs
- 06Offline rendering without API calls
Use cases
- 01Create charts from a CSV using a written request
- 02Process and visualize data without sending raw files
- 03Save chart specs for rendering with updated data
MCP support
NVEIL includes a stdio MCP server that MCP clients can launch to access its capabilities.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
uvx nveilNVEIL_API_KEYSecretNVEIL planning service API key. Obtain at https://nveil.com.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
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project README
NVEIL Toolkit
Describe your data. Get production charts. Your data stays local.
Quickstart • API Reference • Examples • Changelog
NVEIL is an AI-powered data visualization toolkit. Write one line of natural language, and NVEIL processes your data and generates publication-ready visualizations — no chart code, no hallucinations, no data leaving your machine.
import nveil
nveil.configure(api_key="nveil_...")
# Pass a file path directly — no DataFrame loading required.
spec = nveil.generate_spec("Revenue by region, colored by quarter", "sales.csv")
fig = spec.render("sales.csv") # 100% local — no API call
nveil.show(fig) # opens in browser
From your shell
After pip install nveil the nveil command is on your $PATH:
export NVEIL_API_KEY=nveil_...
# Ground yourself on the dataset (shape / dtypes / head preview)
nveil describe sales.csv
# Generate HTML + PNG + a reusable .nveil spec, print the explanation
nveil generate "Revenue by region, colored by quarter" \
--data sales.csv --format all --explain
# Re-render an existing spec on fresh data — no API call
nveil render chart.nveil --data new_sales.csv
For AI agents (Claude Code / Claude Desktop / Cursor / Codex / …)
NVEIL ships first-class integrations:
# Claude Code / Claude Desktop — install the bundled skill
nveil install-skill
# Claude Desktop, Cursor, any MCP client — add an MCP server:
# {"mcpServers": {"nveil": {"command": "nveil", "args": ["mcp"]}}}
nveil mcp # stdio server; launched by the MCP client
Why NVEIL?
| Capability | NVEIL | Chatbot data analysis¹ | LLM-to-viz libraries² | Traditional plotting³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural-language input | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Raw data stays on your machine | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Only schema + stats sent to server | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | N/A |
| Deterministic, reproducible output | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Offline re-rendering, zero API calls | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Portable saved specs (.nveil files) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 2D + 3D + geospatial + scientific | ✓ | 2D | 2D | varies |
| Multi-backend (Plotly, VTK, DeckGL) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Data processing engine | ✓ | ✓ | partial | ✗ |
¹ ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis, Claude Analysis tool, Gemini Data Agent · ² PandasAI, LIDA, Julius, Vanna · ³ Plotly, Matplotlib, Seaborn
How It Works
Your Data ──> Toolkit ──metadata only──> NVEIL AI ──> Processing Plan ──> Local Execution ──> Result
^ ^
raw data stays here raw data stays here
- You describe what you want in plain language
- NVEIL AI plans the data processing and visualization (only metadata is sent — column names, types, statistics)
- The Toolkit executes locally — joins, aggregations, pivots, rendering — all on your machine
- You get a figure — Plotly, VTK, or DeckGL, auto-selected for your data
Key Features
🧠 Two Engines in OneData processing (joins, pivots, aggregations, geocoding, time series) AND visualization generation from a single prompt. 🔒 Data Privacy by DesignRaw data never leaves your machine. Only column names, types, and aggregate statistics are sent. 📈 Multi-Backend RenderingAuto-detects the best engine: Plotly (2D charts), VTK (3D/medical), DeckGL (geospatial). |
🧪 Auditable ResultsPowered by constraint solving, not random generation. Same input = same output, every time. ⚡ Offline Rendering
💾 Reusable SpecsSave to |
Beyond Simple Charts
NVEIL handles geospatial heatmaps, 3D volumes, scientific visualizations, medical imaging (DICOM), biosignal data (EDF/EDF+), network graphs, and 50+ other visualization types — all from natural language.
Save Once, Render Forever
# Generate once (API call)
spec = nveil.generate_spec("Monthly trend by category", df)
spec.save("trend.nveil")
# Reload anywhere — no API call, no server, no cost
spec = nveil.load_spec("trend.nveil")
fig = spec.render(fresh_data)
nveil.save_image(fig, "report.png")
Installation
pip install nveil
Requirements: Python 3.10+
Getting Started
- Create an account at app.nveil.com
- Generate an API key in Settings
- Start visualizing
import os
import nveil
nveil.configure(api_key=os.environ["NVEIL_API_KEY"])
spec = nveil.generate_spec("scatter plot of price vs area", df)
fig = spec.render(df)
nveil.show(fig)
See the examples/ directory for more usage patterns.
Documentation
Full documentation is available at docs.nveil.com:
- Quickstart Guide
- Core Concepts — sessions, specs, and the two-stage flow
- API Reference — full reference for all public functions
- Privacy Model — what data is sent, what stays local
- Examples — bar charts, multi-dataset, offline rendering
Contributing
Contributions are welcome under the project's Contributor License Agreement. Bug reports and feature requests are welcome via GitHub Issues.
License
GNU AGPL v3 or later. See LICENSE. Commercial dual-licensing is available — contact [email protected].
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.