What is Embody (Envoy MCP)?
Embody is a TouchDesigner component by Dylan Roscover that you drag into a project as a .tox file. It bundles four parts: Envoy, an MCP server embedded in the running TouchDesigner session; externalisation, which writes tagged operators to files on disk that mirror the network; TDXN, a YAML format that captures a whole network as one human-readable file; and Convoy, a preview feature that lets Embody nodes on a trusted LAN control each other.
Envoy gives clients such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Copilot about 70 tools to create operators, wire them, set parameters, run Python, capture rendered frames and read errors. The project is MIT-licensed Python with about 218 stars, released v6.3.3 on 1 November 2026, and needs TouchDesigner 2025.33230 or later on Windows or macOS. TouchDesigner itself is free only for non-commercial work; paid projects need a Commercial licence at $600 or Pro at $2,200.
How to install Embody (Envoy MCP)
Download the Embody .tox from https://github.com/dylanroscover/Embody/tree/main/release and drag it into a TouchDesigner projectIs Embody (Envoy MCP) worth it?
Embody's real contribution is making TouchDesigner networks legible. A .toe project is a binary file that an agent cannot read and git cannot diff; TDXN turns a network into YAML that both can. read_tdxn returns the live network in that form, which the docs put at 20 to 90 times fewer tokens than walking operators one by one. Each mutating tool call is wrapped in a TouchDesigner undo block, so Ctrl+Z reverts an agent's change, and capture_top lets the agent look at what it rendered and flags black or empty frames.
The security model is the part to read before installing. Envoy listens on 127.0.0.1:9870, scanning up to 9879 if several instances run, and checks Host and Origin headers against browser attacks. It has no authentication: the docs say any local process that reaches the port has full control of the session, including execute_python, which runs arbitrary Python on TouchDesigner's main thread with file, network and process access. That is fine on a personal workstation and a real risk on shared machines or cloud desktops. The setup wizard's recommended permission choice for Claude Code, Don't ask, pre-approves every Envoy tool, execute_python included; Ask for some keeps edits and execution behind a prompt.
Convoy widens the exposure. It installs a per-user background app that stays running at login, opens an encrypted, mutually authenticated LAN listener and relays work between machines even with TouchDesigner closed. Remote Python and shell access are off by default and can only be turned on locally, but ordinary relayed tools can still change projects, and the docs say not to enable it on guest or public networks. Convoy is labelled a development preview, with macOS node-to-node operation not yet validated.
The rivals are close by. 8beeeaaat's older touchdesigner-mcp has about 626 stars, and Derivative's own TDMCP has been public since September 2026; Embody credits ideas from both. Embody wins on breadth, the text format and a test suite of 5,720 tests run inside TouchDesigner, and loses on footprint: it writes AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, .mcp.json and other client files into your repo and maintains its own Python environment.
Where it earns its place
A freelance visual artist building festival content
Sketch three variations of a feedback-loop look in an evening
Describe each look to Claude Code; Envoy creates and wires the operators, capture_top shows the result, and each attempt is exported to TDXN for comparison. Paid gigs need a TouchDesigner Commercial licence at $600.
A three-person interactive installation studio
Keep TouchDesigner projects in git and review changes
Tag COMPs for externalisation so every save writes .tdxn and .py files that diff cleanly in pull requests; the .toe stays authoritative unless Roundtrip mode is switched on.
A technical director with a rack of render nodes
Push a project update and restart every machine from one session
Convoy relays saves, restarts and file sends to each node over the LAN. Only on a trusted production network, with Allow Execute TD Python and Allow Full Shell left off unless a workflow needs them.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Download the .tox from the release folder and drag it into a project; the setup wizard chooses the AI client, permissions and Convoy. Envoy writes a .mcp.json with a stdio bridge that can launch TouchDesigner; direct HTTP is http://127.0.0.1:9870/mcp. Requires TouchDesigner 2025.33230+ on Windows or macOS.
- Integrations
- About 70 tools: create_op, set_parameter, connect_ops, execute_python, exec_op_method, read_tdxn, export_network and import_network, capture_top, get_op_errors, run_tests, launch_td, plus Convoy relay tools. Configs generated for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini, Cursor, Windsurf and Copilot.
- Data and privacy
- Local. Envoy binds 127.0.0.1 only, validates Host and Origin, and has no authentication; execute_python and exec_op_method give any connected client code execution as your user. Convoy opens an authenticated LAN listener through a login-persistent host app; remote Python and shell are off by default. Logs keep the last 200 operations and daily files.
- Cost at scale
- Embody is free. TouchDesigner Non-Commercial is free but capped at 1280x1280 and barred from paid work; Commercial $600, Pro $2,200, Educational $300.
- Limits
- The timeline must be running; clone and replicant operators cannot be externalised. Convoy is a preview with macOS LAN operation unvalidated. 9 open issues. Shared machines expose the unauthenticated port to other users.
What’s good
- TDXN makes networks diffable and readable by agents
- Agent edits are undoable with Ctrl+Z
- Frame capture with an automatic black-frame check
- MIT-licensed and released often
What’s not
- Envoy's local port has no authentication
- execute_python runs arbitrary code; recommended setup auto-approves it
- Convoy adds a background LAN service and is still a preview
- Writes several config and agent files into your project
Best for
TouchDesigner artists and studios on single-user workstations who want an agent to build and debug networks and want their projects under git.
Embody (Envoy MCP) alternatives
Embody (Envoy MCP): common questions
- Is Embody (Envoy MCP) worth it?
- Embody lets an agent build inside live TouchDesigner and keeps the work in git, as long as you remember that its port has no password and one of its tools runs any Python it is handed. We rate it 3.9 out of 5.
- How much does Embody (Envoy MCP) cost?
- Embody is free and open source (MIT). TouchDesigner Non-Commercial is free; Educational $300, Commercial $600, Pro $2,200.
- What are the downsides of Embody (Envoy MCP)?
- Envoy's local port has no authentication; execute_python runs arbitrary code; recommended setup auto-approves it; convoy adds a background LAN service and is still a preview; writes several config and agent files into your project.
- Who is Embody (Envoy MCP) best for?
- TouchDesigner artists and studios on single-user workstations who want an agent to build and debug networks and want their projects under git.
- How much does Embody (Envoy MCP) cost for a team or in production?
- Embody is free. TouchDesigner Non-Commercial is free but capped at 1280x1280 and barred from paid work; Commercial $600, Pro $2,200, Educational $300.
- Is Embody (Envoy MCP) safe for company data?
- Local. Envoy binds 127.0.0.1 only, validates Host and Origin, and has no authentication; execute_python and exec_op_method give any connected client code execution as your user. Convoy opens an authenticated LAN listener through a login-persistent host app; remote Python and shell are off by default. Logs keep the last 200 operations and daily files.
- What are the best Embody (Envoy MCP) alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are MCP for Blender.
Answers checked Nov 11, 2026.