mcp-engine-public MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Reads Power BI tabular model structure (tables, columns, measures, relationships)
Runs DAX queries against the open model
Creates and modifies DAX measures
Manages relationships between tables
Local-only execution — no data leaves the machine

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

engine-public.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "engine-public": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "engine-public": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "engine-public": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "engine-public": {
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "engine-public",
      "command": "TODO",
      "args": [
        "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "engine-public": {
      "command": {
        "path": "TODO",
        "args": [
          "See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add engine-public -- TODO 'See README: https://github.com/maxanatsko/mcp-engine-public'

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use mcp-engine-public

Write DAX without memorizing syntax

👤 Power BI analysts new to DAX ⏱ ~15 min intermediate

When to use: You know what you want in English; you don't want to debug CALCULATE for an hour.

Prerequisites

Power BI Desktop with a model open — Launch Power BI Desktop and open your .pbix
MCP Engine installed and connected — See mcpengine.dev — installer under 5 min

Flow

Orient the model

List the tables in the open model and key measures.✓ Copied

→ Model map
Write the measure

Create a DAX measure 'YoY Revenue' that returns current revenue minus same period prior year, using Date[Date] for time intelligence.✓ Copied

→ DAX + creation confirmation
Validate

Run the measure over 2024 vs 2025 and spot-check 3 rows.✓ Copied

→ Numbers that look right

Outcome: A working measure with validation, not a guess.

Pitfalls

Time intelligence requires a properly marked date table — Verify Date table is marked as a date table first
Model calculations differ between DirectQuery and Import — Be aware of your storage mode; DirectQuery imposes DAX restrictions

Auto-document an existing Power BI model

👤 Analysts inheriting a .pbix ⏱ ~25 min beginner

When to use: The original author is gone and the model has 40 tables of mystery.

Flow

Dump structure

Dump the model: every table's role, every measure's DAX, every relationship.✓ Copied

→ Full structural listing
Write prose docs

Write a one-page explanation of this model for a new analyst: what it reports on, main tables, key measures.✓ Copied

→ Human-readable model doc

Outcome: Useful documentation without reading every measure yourself.

Combine with: filesystem

Refactor measures to follow naming + modeling conventions

👤 Teams standardizing Power BI practices ⏱ ~30 min intermediate

When to use: Measures are named inconsistently (e.g. 'Total Sales' vs 'SumSales').

Flow

Find violations

List measures that don't follow the naming convention '<Verb> <Subject> [<Modifier>]'.✓ Copied

→ Violation list
Rename safely

Propose renames; list any visuals or calculated tables that reference each old name.✓ Copied

→ Rename plan with dependencies

Outcome: A consistent measure catalog with broken references caught before you hit Apply.

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

engine-public + filesystem

Export model documentation as a Markdown file alongside the .pbix

Document the model and save as ~/Docs/PBI/sales-model.md next to sales.pbix.✓ Copied

engine-public + postgres

Cross-check PBI measures against raw Postgres queries

PBI says Q1 revenue is $4.2M. Run the same query on the source Postgres DB and tell me if there's a discrepancy.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
get_model_structure	(none)	Session start	free (local)
run_dax	query: str	Ad-hoc DAX query	free (local)
create_measure	table, name, expression	Add new measure	free (write)
update_measure	table, name, expression	Modify existing	free (write)
manage_relationship	from_table, from_col, to_table, to_col, action: create\|delete\|update	Schema changes	free (write)

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: None — local only
Tokens per call: Model dumps can be large; focus queries
Monetary: Proprietary license with permitted personal + commercial use (see mcpengine.dev/license)
Tip: Ask for specific tables rather than a full model dump on complex reports.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: None required — uses PBI Desktop's session

Data egress: Zero telemetry claimed; all local to PBI Desktop

Proprietary license — review terms at mcpengine.dev/license before enterprise use.
Changes write directly to the open model — save your .pbix before risky refactors.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

No Power BI instance found

Ensure Power BI Desktop is running with a report open; the MCP connects to the local port it exposes.

Verify: Check Task Manager for msmdsrv process

DAX error: Column not found

Table/column reference is case-sensitive and must match exactly. Use the model structure dump to get names right.

Verify: get_model_structure

Changes don't persist after closing PBI

PBI Desktop doesn't auto-save — Ctrl+S after each batch of changes.

Verify: Title bar shows no asterisk

Alternatives

mcp-engine-public vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
Tabular Editor 3 (scripting)	You want a full scripting environment for PBI/SSAS models	Paid; no MCP surface
DAX Studio	You only need a DAX query tool	No write operations; no AI layer

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills