Installation Guide

Prerequisites

Before installing the ModelsLab MCP Server, ensure you have:

Python 3.7+ installed on your system
Claude Desktop application installed
ModelsLab account with API access
Git for cloning the repository

Step 1: Clone the Repository

First, clone the ModelsLab MCP Server repository to your local machine:

bash

git clone https://github.com/ModelsLab/modelslab-mcp.git

Navigate to the cloned directory:

bash

cd modelslab-mcp

Step 2: Get Your API Key

Visit the ModelsLab Portal
Log in to your account
Navigate to the API Keys section
Generate a new API key or copy your existing one
Keep this key secure - you’ll need it for configuration

Step 3: Create Configuration File

Create the Claude Desktop configuration file in the appropriate location:

For macOS:

bash

cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/

touch claude_desktop_config.json

For Windows:

bash

cd %APPDATA%\Claude\

type nul > claude_desktop_config.json

Step 4: Configure the MCP Server

Add the following configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json file:

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ModelsLab-MCP": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/modelslab-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "IMAGE_STORAGE_DIRECTORY": "/path/to/your/images",
        "MODELSLAB_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Example
`command`	Python executable path	`python` or `python3`
`args`	Path to the cloned repository	`"/Users/username/modelslab-mcp"`
`IMAGE_STORAGE_DIRECTORY`	Where to save generated images	`"/Users/username/Pictures/ModelsLab"`
`MODELSLAB_API_KEY`	Your ModelsLab API key	`"ml-abc123..."`

Step 5: Update Paths

Replace the placeholder paths with your actual paths:

Example for macOS:

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ModelsLab-MCP": {
      "command": "/usr/bin/python3",
      "args": [
        "/Users/johndoe/modelslab-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "IMAGE_STORAGE_DIRECTORY": "/Users/johndoe/Pictures/ModelsLab",
        "MODELSLAB_API_KEY": "ml-your-actual-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example for Windows:

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ModelsLab-MCP": {
      "command": "C:\\Python39\\python.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Users\\JohnDoe\\modelslab-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "IMAGE_STORAGE_DIRECTORY": "C:\\Users\\JohnDoe\\Pictures\\ModelsLab",
        "MODELSLAB_API_KEY": "ml-your-actual-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

Completely quit Claude Desktop (not just minimize)
Reopen Claude Desktop
The MCP server should now be available

Verification

To verify the installation worked:

Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop

Try generating an image with a command like:

Generate an image of a cat sitting on a tree

If successful, you should see the generated image and it will be saved to your specified directory

​Prerequisites

​Step 1: Clone the Repository

​Step 2: Get Your API Key

​Step 3: Create Configuration File

​For macOS:

​For Windows:

​Step 4: Configure the MCP Server

​Configuration Parameters:

​Step 5: Update Paths

​Example for macOS:

​Example for Windows:

​Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

​Verification

Prerequisites

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Step 2: Get Your API Key

Step 3: Create Configuration File

For macOS:

For Windows:

Step 4: Configure the MCP Server

Configuration Parameters:

Step 5: Update Paths

Example for macOS:

Example for Windows:

Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

Verification