PixelLab Forge

An MCP server that connects AI assistants to the PixelLab pixel art generation API. Generate sprites, tilesets, characters, animations, and more directly from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.

Generated images are automatically saved to ./pixellab-forge-output/ in your project directory, ready to be moved into your game assets.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or later
• A PixelLab API key — get one at pixellab.ai/account

Setup

No installation needed. npx downloads and runs the package automatically on first use.

Package registry: pixellab-forge-mcp is published to the public npm registry (npmjs.org) — that's what npx/npm install use. It is not distributed via GitHub Packages, so the repo's /pkgs/npm/… page will 404; that's expected.

Claude Code (CLI)

claude mcp add pixellab-forge-mcp -e PIXELLAB_API_KEY=your-api-key-here -- npx pixellab-forge-mcp

This adds it to the current project. To make it available across all your projects:

claude mcp add pixellab-forge-mcp -s user -e PIXELLAB_API_KEY=your-api-key-here -- npx pixellab-forge-mcp

That's it. Claude Code will start the server automatically when you begin a conversation.

Claude Desktop

Add to your config file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pixellab-forge-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["pixellab-forge-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PIXELLAB_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pixellab-forge-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["pixellab-forge-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PIXELLAB_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Other MCP Clients

Any MCP client that supports stdio transport can use PixelLab Forge. Set the command to npx pixellab-forge-mcp and pass PIXELLAB_API_KEY as an environment variable.

Generated Images

When a tool returns image data, PixelLab Forge automatically saves the images as PNGs to ./pixellab-forge-output/ in whatever directory the MCP server is running from (usually your project root).

Image inputs can be passed by file_path instead of inline base64 — any image argument accepts { "file_path": "pixellab-forge-output/sprite.png" }, which the server resolves from disk before calling the API (saves passing large base64 blobs through the model). Paths are restricted to the output directory and workspace root. The dedicated read_image tool remains available for loading an image explicitly.

Add this to your .gitignore:

pixellab-forge-output/

Available Tools (66)

Generation tools automatically poll for results — no manual job status checking needed. If a job takes longer than 10 minutes or the connection drops, use list_pending_jobs to find the job ID and get_job_status to retrieve the result.

Image Generation

Tool	Description	Key Options
generate_image	Generate pixel art from text	reference_images, style_image, style_options, no_background, seed
generate_with_style	Match style from 1-4 references	style_images, style_description, no_background, seed
generate_ui	Game UI elements (buttons, panels, icons)	concept_image, color_palette, no_background, seed
create_image_pixen	Pixen engine (max area 512×512, dims ÷4)	outline, detail, view, direction, no_background, enhance_prompt, seed
create_image_pixflux	Pixflux engine (32-400px)	text_guidance_scale, init_image, color_image, no_background, isometric, outline/shading/detail, seed
create_image_pixflux_background	Pixflux engine tuned for backgrounds/scenes	Same as create_image_pixflux
create_image_bitforge	Bitforge engine (max 200px)	text_guidance_scale, style_image, inpainting_image, mask_image, color_image, skeleton_keypoints, outline/shading/detail, seed

Characters & Objects

Tool	Description	Key Options
create_character_v3	Character via v3 model (32-256px, newest)	reference_image (rotate exact character) or text-only, view, template_id, outline, detail, enhance_prompt, no_background, seed
create_character_pro	Character/object via Pro engine (32-168px)	method (style/concept/rotate), concept_image, reference_image, style_description, view, template_id, no_background, seed
create_character_4dir	Character with N/S/E/W views	proportions, view, text_guidance_scale, outline/shading/detail, color_image, force_colors, template_id, isometric, seed
create_character_8dir	Character with 8 directional views	Same as 4dir
create_character_state	New state/variant of a saved character	character_id, edit_description, use_color_palette_from_reference, no_background, seed
animate_character	Animate saved character (template only)	template_animation_id (walking, fireball, breathing-idle, etc. — 47 templates), action_description, directions, outline/shading/detail, seed
create_character_animation	Animate saved character (template/v3/pro)	character_id, mode, template_animation_id, action_description, frame_count, directions, seed
create_object_1dir	Object, single direction (32-256px)	size, view (top-down/sidescroller), style_images, item_descriptions
create_object_8dir	Object with 8 directional views (32-256px)	size, view, reference_image (rotate exact) or style_image (new in style)
animate_object	Animate a saved object	object_id, mode (v3/pro), animation_description, directions, frame_count, custom_start_frame, end_frame, enhance_prompt
create_object_state	New state/variant of a saved object	object_id, edit_description, seed
select_object_frames	Keep specific candidate frames as objects	object_id, indices, common_tag
dismiss_object_review	Accept an object as-is (clear review)	object_id
list_characters / list_objects	List with pagination	limit, offset
get_character / get_object	Get details by ID
delete_character / delete_object	Delete by ID
download_character_zip	Export character as ZIP (saved to pixellab-forge-output/, returns file path)
update_character_tags / update_object_tags	Manage tags

Animation

Tool	Description	Key Options
animate_with_text	Animate from text + reference	text_guidance_scale, image_guidance_scale, n_frames, init_images, color_image, seed
animate_with_text_v2	Animate existing image (32-256px)	reference_image, action, view, direction, no_background, seed
animate_with_text_v3	Animate from first/last keyframes	first_frame, last_frame, frame_count, no_background, seed
animate_with_skeleton	Pose control via keypoints	skeleton_keypoints, reference_guidance_scale, pose_guidance_scale, isometric, color_image, seed
edit_animation	Edit animation frames (2-16)	frames, description, no_background, seed
interpolate_frames	Generate in-between frames	start_image, end_image, action, no_background, seed
transfer_outfit	Apply outfit to frames	reference_image, frames, no_background, seed
estimate_skeleton	Extract keypoints from image	image, image_size

Rotation

Tool	Description	Key Options
generate_8_rotations	8 directional views (32-168px)	method (rotate/style/concept), view, style_description, no_background, seed
generate_8_rotations_v3	8 rotations from one frame (v3)	first_frame, no_background, seed
rotate	Rotate between views/directions	from_view/to_view, from_direction/to_direction, view_change, direction_change, image_guidance_scale, isometric, seed

Editing & Inpainting

Tool	Description	Key Options
edit_images	Batch edit 1-16 images	method (text/reference), description, reference_image, no_background, seed
edit_image	Edit single image	image, description, width, height, text_guidance_scale, color_image, no_background, seed
inpaint_v3	Mask-based editing	mask_image, bounding_box, crop_to_mask, no_background, seed
inpaint	Inpainting (legacy, max 200px)	mask_image, text_guidance_scale, outline/shading/detail, isometric, color_image, seed

Image Operations

Tool	Description	Key Options
image_to_pixelart	Convert photo to pixel art	image, output_size
image_to_pixelart_pro	Convert photo to pixel art (Pro, auto-sizes)	image, description, seed
resize_image	AI-powered pixel art resize	reference_image, target_size, color_image
remove_background	Remove background (max 400px)	background_removal_task, text_hint

Tilesets

Tool	Description	Key Options
create_tileset	Top-down tileset (16 or 32px)	lower/upper/transition_description, tile_size, view, text_guidance_scale, tile_strength, tileset_adherence, lower/upper/transition_reference_image, seed
create_tileset_sidescroller	Platformer tileset	lower_description, transition_description, text_guidance_scale, tile_strength, tileset_adherence, base_tile_id, seed
create_isometric_tile	Isometric tile (16-64px)	isometric_tile_shape (block/thick/thin), text_guidance_scale, outline/shading/detail, color_image, seed
create_tiles_pro	Pro tiles (hex, iso, octagon, square)	tile_type, tile_size, tile_view, tile_depth_ratio, style_images, style_options, n_tiles, seed
get_tileset / get_isometric_tile / get_tiles_pro	Retrieve by ID
list_tilesets / list_isometric_tiles	List with pagination	limit, offset

Map Objects

Tool	Description	Key Options
create_map_object	Game-ready object	view, outline/shading/detail, text_guidance_scale, background_image, inpainting, color_image, seed

Prompt Enhancement

Expand a short description into a richer prompt. These return enhanced text only — they do not generate images.

Tool	Description	Key Options
enhance_character_prompt	Enrich a prompt for create_character_v3	description, image_size, view, outline, detail
enhance_animation_prompt	Enrich a motion prompt for animate_with_text_v3	first_frame, action, last_frame
enhance_pixen_prompt	Enrich a prompt for create_image_pixen	description, image_size, outline, detail, view, direction, no_background

Account & Jobs

Tool	Description
get_balance	Check your credit balance
get_job_status	Check a background job by ID
list_pending_jobs	List jobs that haven't completed (for recovery after disconnection)
list_job_history	Recent job history (auto-pruned after 24h)
read_image	Load a saved PNG as a Base64 image to pass into other tools

Common Options

Most tools share these parameters, but the field names differ between endpoint generations:

Concept	v2 endpoints	Legacy endpoints
Prompt adherence	n/a	text_guidance_scale (1-20)
Transparent background	no_background	no_background
Color reference	n/a	color_image (reference image)
Style controls	n/a	outline, shading, detail
Negative prompt	n/a	negative_description
Isometric mode	n/a	isometric, oblique_projection
Reproducibility	seed	seed

Character, object, tileset, and map object endpoints also accept text_guidance_scale, outline, shading, detail, and color_image.

Usage

Just describe what you want in plain language. The assistant picks the right tool and parameters automatically.

Quick Examples

Sprites and icons:

"Generate a 64x64 pixel art knight with a blue cape, no background"
"Make a 16x16 health potion icon"
"Create a 128x128 dragon boss with detailed shading and thick outlines"

Characters (persistent, multi-directional):

"Create a 48x48 character with 4 directions: a dwarf blacksmith in a leather apron, chibi proportions"
"Animate that character with the walk template"
"Now add a fireball animation"

Tilesets:

"Create a 32x32 top-down tileset: ocean water below, sandy beach on top, foam transition"
"Make a 16x16 sidescroller tileset with stone platforms"

Editing existing art:

"Edit this sprite to make the armor gold instead of silver"
"Remove the background from this image"
"Generate 8 rotations of this character"

Which Tool Gets Used?

The assistant picks the right tool automatically, but the key decision is:

• generate_image — default for most requests, highest quality, largest sizes
• generate_with_style — when you want new art matching existing art ("in the same style as these sprites")
• generate_ui — for game UI elements (buttons, panels, health bars, icons)
• create_tileset / create_tiles_pro — for tileable terrain; standard for square RPG tiles, pro for hex/isometric/octagon
• create_character_4dir / 8dir — for persistent characters you can animate later by ID

Key Concepts

• Sizes are in pixels as width x height — different tools have different limits (e.g. characters max 128x128, generate_image goes up to 792x688)
• Transparent backgrounds are the default on most tools — ask for a background explicitly if you want one
• Characters are persistent — once created, you can animate them by ID without re-describing
• Seeds make results reproducible — same seed + same description = same output

For detailed size limits, style controls, endpoint comparison, and step-by-step workflows, see the Prompting Guide.

Prompt Commands

PixelLab Forge includes MCP prompt templates that appear as slash commands in supported clients (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

Command	Description
pf:help	Overview of all tools and how to use them
pf:sprite	Generate a pixel art sprite
pf:character	Create a character with directional views + animation
pf:animate	Animate an existing sprite or character
pf:tileset	Create a top-down or sidescroller tileset
pf:tiles	Create hex, isometric, or octagon tiles
pf:ui	Generate game UI elements
pf:style	Generate art matching existing sprites' style
pf:edit	Edit or modify an existing sprite

Reliability

• Auto-polling: Generation jobs are polled every 2 seconds for up to 10 minutes
• Retry on failure: Network errors during polling are retried 3 times with backoff
• Job recovery: If the connection drops, job IDs are logged to stderr and persisted to disk. Use list_pending_jobs to find them and get_job_status to retrieve results
• Image saving: Generated images are automatically saved as PNGs to ./pixellab-forge-output/

Testing

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js

Set PIXELLAB_API_KEY in the inspector's environment variables, connect, and test any tool.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome via pull requests.

See CHANGELOG.md for release history. Maintainers: see RELEASING.md for the release process.

License

MIT