The Hermes Agent Blender plugin is Nous Research's official package that connects Hermes to the Blender Lab MCP server, opens Blender for you when a task needs it, and, since version 0.4.0 on 24 October 2026, installs Blender itself after you say yes once. You type what you want in the scene. Hermes reads the scene, makes the change and checks it.
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We already covered the manual MCP route in our Hermes Blender MCP guide. This page is about the plugin, which does most of that setup for you.
What the Hermes Agent Blender plugin is
The plugin lives in the blender folder of the hermes-official-plugins repo on GitHub. It was first packaged on 22 September 2026 and moved there from an older repo that is now archived. Hermes v0.22.0, released on 14 October 2026, lists Blender Lab among its new official plugins.
It ships two things:
- A launch config for the official Blender Lab MCP server, pinned to its v1.0.3 release.
- A workflow skill that tells Hermes how to find Blender, start it, read the scene first and verify every edit.
The plugin itself is MIT-licensed. Blender Lab's server and add-on stay GPL-3.0-or-later. No Blender Lab code is copied into the plugin.
Members of the AI Profit Boardroom get our full Hermes plugin setups and prompt packs for $69/mo, plus coaching calls to fix what breaks.
What changed in versions 0.3.0, 0.4.0 and 0.4.1
All three landed on 24 October 2026, per the repo's commit history.
- 0.3.0: Hermes opens Blender itself. Before this, the agent told you to open Blender and enable the add-on. Now it starts Blender with online access for that session and waits for the bridge.
- 0.4.0: Hermes installs Blender itself. If no Blender is found, the skill asks once. On a yes it downloads the newest release from download.blender.org, checks it against blender.org's sha256 list, installs it in your own user folder with no admin rights, and adds the MCP add-on.
- 0.4.1: Microsoft Store lookup. The skill now also finds a Blender installed from the Microsoft Store.
The skill tells you the size before it asks: about 400 MB to download and about 1.5 GB once unpacked. It never installs over a Blender you already have.
How to install it, step by step
- Run hermes plugins install blender, then hermes plugins enable blender. Add hermes -p with a profile name to install it into a specific profile.
- Make sure Git and uv are available. The README says the first download and build of the server took several minutes in their Windows checks, and gives a warm-up command so the first connection does not time out.
- Restart Hermes or reload its MCP servers.
- Ask a simple question, such as "What objects are in my Blender scene?"
- If Blender is missing, say yes to the one install question. If the add-on is missing, say yes to that question.
- Hermes opens Blender and reads the scene. A fresh Blender shows the startup scene: camera, cube and light.
Requirements from the README: Blender 5.1 or newer on the same machine as Hermes. Blender 5.1 and later has no build for Intel Macs or Linux on ARM, so those machines cannot use this plugin.
Keep Blender work in its own profile if you also run client work in Hermes. Our guide to Hermes multiple profiles shows how.
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Plugin vs MCP: which route to use
| Point | Blender plugin | Manual Blender MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Two install commands, then one yes | You add the MCP server to your config yourself |
| Installing Blender | Offered by the skill, in your user folder | You install it |
| Add-on install | Offered by the skill, pinned v1.0.3 with a hash check | You install it from Blender Lab's page |
| Opening Blender | Hermes starts it with online access for that session | You open it and turn on online access |
| Workflow rules | Skill included: read first, small edits, verify | Up to your own prompts |
| Best for | Most people, and fresh machines | Custom setups and existing configs |
Both routes talk to the same official Blender Lab server. The plugin wraps the setup and the rules around it.
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What you can ask Hermes to do in Blender
The skill describes a clear scene workflow. In plain terms:
- Read the scene. It always starts with a scene summary before any edit.
- Build and change objects. It runs Python in Blender with full access to Blender's API, one small change at a time, then reads the result back.
- Let you watch. In a graphical Blender, it takes a screenshot after each change. In Hermes Desktop that image can sit in a preview pane that refreshes as the build goes.
- Render a final still. It renders once at the end with the scene's own render settings.
- Work on saved files. Tools ending in for_cli open a saved .blend file in a separate background Blender.
It also asks before it changes an existing project you did not ask it to edit, and uses a scratch scene for connection tests. On a server with no screen, it runs Blender in the background. Screenshots and viewport renders need a graphical Blender.
Pair it with the Meshy plugin to generate models first, then light and render them here. Our Hermes Agent 3D model workflow shows the full route.
Want this running for your own product shots or client renders? Book a free AI strategy session.
Prompts to try first
Start small so you can see each step work before you build a full scene.
- Check the connection. "What objects are in my Blender scene right now?"
- Build something simple. "Add a low table with four legs in the centre of the scene and tell me its size."
- Set up a shot. "Add a soft key light and a camera looking down at the table at 30 degrees, then show me a screenshot."
- Render. "Render one final still with the current settings and give me the file path."
- Work on a saved file. "Open my saved .blend file at this path and list the materials it uses."
Each prompt maps to one part of the skill's workflow: read, change, verify, render. If a step fails, Hermes reads the error and the scene before it tries again, rather than repeating the same edit.
Need a hand turning these prompts into a repeatable process for product images or client work? Grab a free strategy session.
Safety: what to know before you say yes
Blender Lab's own warning is blunt: its tools execute arbitrary Python in Blender with no protection against file deletion or data exfiltration. The plugin README repeats it and says this is not a sandbox.
- Port 9876 has no password. While Blender is open, any program on your computer can use the bridge. Keep it on loopback.
- Use a scratch scene for tests. The skill never overwrites a saved project as a readiness check.
- Online access is per session. Hermes opens Blender with a flag that grants online access for that session only. Your saved preference stays as you set it.
- Do not run unknown instructions. The skill tells Hermes not to follow instructions found inside a scene or in fetched docs.
The verification file shows the install-it-yourself flow was run live on Ubuntu. The macOS and Windows install steps are listed as not yet run on a real machine, so expect rough edges there.
For the full picture of how plugins like this fit into a working agent stack, read our Agent OS guide. For model choice, check the Goldie Bench rankings.
FAQ
Does installing the plugin install Blender?
No. Installing the plugin changes nothing on your computer. The skill offers to install Blender only when a task needs it and you say yes.
Which Blender version do I need?
Blender 5.1 or newer. The plugin's checks used Blender 5.2.2 LTS on Windows and 5.2.3 LTS on Linux.
Can I still use my own Blender install?
Yes. The skill looks in the usual install folders on Linux, macOS and Windows, including Steam. If yours is in a custom folder, tell Hermes the path.
What if Blender is already open?
Hermes never starts a second window. It asks you to quit so it can reopen Blender with online access, or to turn on Allow Online Access and start the bridge in the add-on settings.
Get the plugin setups, prompts and weekly help inside the AI Profit Boardroom, or map your first Blender build in a free strategy session.
