APS MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes Autodesk Forma project data via the APS Data Management API. Built for the AU2026 beginner workshop.

What it does

The server connects GitHub Copilot (or any MCP-compatible client) to your APS hubs and projects, letting an AI assistant browse folder structures and generate activity summaries without leaving the chat.

MCP tools

Agent skill

.github/skills/forma-weekly-update/SKILL.md defines a GitHub Copilot agent skill (forma-weekly-update) that uses the two tools above to produce a weekly summary of file changes in a given project.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• An APS application with data:read scope (create one here)
• Admin access to an Autodesk Forma hub

Setup

npm install

VS Code integration

.vscode/mcp.json registers the server as APS MCP Server using the STDIO transport. VS Code launches node index.js as a child process, so APS_CLIENT_ID and APS_CLIENT_SECRET have to be present in that process’s environment. In a GitHub Codespace they already are — the workshop stores them as Codespace secrets. Running locally, export them in your shell before launching VS Code, or add an envFile entry to .vscode/mcp.json pointing at a gitignored .env.

Architecture

index.js          Entry point — wires credentials → auth provider → MCP server → STDIO transport
mcp.js            MCP server factory — registers tools, never calls server.connect()
aps.js            APS layer — 2-legged OAuth provider + Data Management helpers

AppAuthenticationProvider (in aps.js) caches tokens in memory and exposes a single getAccessToken() method. The Data Management client calls it internally — raw tokens never leave the class. The advanced workshop session swaps in a 3-legged provider without changing any other file.

Tutorial

Step-by-step instructions for building this server from scratch are in the docs/ folder. Serve them locally with:

npx serve docs

Then open http://localhost:3000.