Using IconVectors with Cursor

This page explains the recommended local setup for Cursor.

Overview

IconVectors includes a desktop editor (IconVectors.exe) and a companion MCP server (IconVectorsMcp.exe).

Cursor supports MCP servers over local stdio as well as remote transports. For IconVectors, the best fit is a local stdio server launched by Cursor while the editor itself is started separately.

The recommended model is:

Start IconVectors.exe yourself.
Let Cursor launch IconVectorsMcp.exe as the MCP server.

This keeps the roles clear:

IconVectors.exe = the editor and local bridge
IconVectorsMcp.exe = the MCP sidecar

Before you begin

Make sure these files are available:

application files in C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors:
- IconVectors.exe
- IconVectorsMcp.exe
helper files in %APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP:
- iconvectors-mcp-tools.json

Keeping iconvectors-mcp-tools.json in the per-user MCP folder is a better fit than putting it beside the executables. Cursor does not import that file directly. Cursor launches the MCP server from mcp.json and discovers tools from the live server at runtime.

You can open that folder directly from IconVectors with Help ‣ Open MCP Files Folder.

If your installation includes the optional MCP helper files, the most useful Cursor files are:

%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\cursor-implementation-instructions.md
%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\iconvectors-mcp-command-reference.md
%APPDATA%\Axialis\IconVectors\MCP\cursor-agent-instructions.template.md

Use them like this:

open cursor-implementation-instructions.md and copy the MCP server block into .cursor/mcp.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json,
keep iconvectors-mcp-command-reference.md near the project if you want extra tool context,
paste cursor-agent-instructions.template.md into Cursor project rules, workspace instructions, or custom instructions if you want Cursor to prefer the IconVectors MCP tools for icon tasks.

Cursor works best with project rules or instruction files, not with a generic project-root SKILL.md.

Start IconVectors

Start the editor first:

.\IconVectors.exe

IconVectors starts its local TCP bridge when the application launches.

For normal Cursor usage, do not start the editor with --mcp, because Cursor should be the process that starts IconVectorsMcp.exe. Use --mcp only for standalone manual testing outside Cursor.

Configure Cursor

Cursor supports:

project-specific MCP configuration in .cursor/mcp.json
global MCP configuration in ~/.cursor/mcp.json

For IconVectors, add a stdio server entry that launches IconVectorsMcp.exe directly from the install folder.

Use a configuration like this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iconvectors": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\Axialis\\IconVectors\\IconVectorsMcp.exe",
      "args": ["--port", "61337"]
    }
  }
}

Replace the path with your real install folder.

If you changed the default bridge port through ICONVECTORS_MCP_PORT or application settings, replace 61337 with the same port here.

Windows working-directory fallback

Some desktop tools launch local servers without setting the working directory to the executable’s folder. If IconVectorsMcp.exe resolves sibling files relative to its own executable path, the direct configuration above should work.

If you need to force the working directory, use a wrapper script.

Example wrapper: `start-iconvectors-mcp.cmd`

Create a file like this:

@echo off
cd /d "C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors"
"C:\Program Files\Axialis\IconVectors\IconVectorsMcp.exe" --port 61337

Then point Cursor to the wrapper instead:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iconvectors": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\Axialis\\IconVectors\\start-iconvectors-mcp.cmd"
    }
  }
}

A cleaner long-term solution is for IconVectorsMcp.exe to resolve sibling resources from its own executable directory rather than from the current working directory.

Reload Cursor

After saving mcp.json, restart Cursor or reload the window so the new MCP configuration is picked up.

In Cursor, MCP tools become available to the agent and can be inspected from the tool UI.

Verify the connection

A good first test is to ask Cursor to use one of the lightweight health-check tools from the IconVectors MCP server, then try a simple document action.

Good first calls:

app_ping
app_getInfo
document_new
document_getInfo
document_saveAs
export

Example prompts:

Use the IconVectors MCP server to call app_ping and confirm the editor is connected.
Use IconVectors to call app_getInfo and summarize the current application state.
Create a new 32x32 document named test icon, use the current palette, draw a simple centered icon, and export it as SVG.

How Cursor uses the tools

Cursor can automatically use MCP tools when they are relevant, and you can also explicitly ask it to use IconVectors.

Prompts like these work well:

Use IconVectors to open app-icon.svg, simplify the paths if possible, and export a 64x64 PNG.
Inspect the current SVG and tell me which layers use gradients.
Create a monochrome toolbar icon set in the current document using IconVectors tools.

Troubleshooting

Cursor does not show the server

Check these points:

IconVectors.exe is already running.
The path to IconVectorsMcp.exe is correct.
The configured port matches the IconVectors bridge port.
Cursor was restarted or reloaded after editing mcp.json.
Cursor’s MCP logs do not show launch or connection errors.

Tools appear but actions fail

If tools are visible but calls fail:

confirm the editor is fully started before the first tool call,
test with app_ping first,
avoid starting IconVectors.exe --mcp while Cursor is also trying to launch IconVectorsMcp.exe.

The wrapper script works but direct launch does not

That usually indicates a path-resolution problem:

update IconVectorsMcp.exe so it resolves sibling files from its executable location, or
keep using the wrapper script to force the working directory.

Optional: project-level Cursor config

If you want IconVectors available only for a specific repository, place the server entry in:

.cursor/mcp.json

If you want it available in all projects, use the global file in your user profile instead.