Built a Custom MCP Server for Blocs + JSON Knowledge Base — Zero-to-Effect Lab with Claude

General Discussion
1

Hey community :waving_hand:

I wanted to share something I’ve been working on that I think could be useful for other Blocs users.

What we built:
Together with Claude (Anthropic’s AI), I built a custom MCP Server for Blocs that can:

  • Parse .bloc project files directly (NSKeyedArchiver binary plist format)
  • Extract CSS classes, pages, interactions, and menu structures in real time
  • Search a growing JSON knowledge base that learns from screenshots and real UI discoveries

The lab experiment:
We used luminated.no/en/ as a reference — specifically their scroll-driven background color transition (teal → black).
Starting from zero knowledge of how that effect works in Blocs, Claude guided me step by step through the entire implementation:

  • Bloc Mask configuration
  • Custom CSS gradient class (hero-gradient-dark)
  • Discovering that Blocs’ swatch system drops alpha values in CSS exports (workaround documented)
  • Finding that Scroll FX Fade In causes unwanted grey artifacts — static gradient was the correct solution

The knowledge base:
Every discovery made during the session gets saved to a blocs_kb.json file using a simple !kb trigger. UI panel names, keyboard shortcuts, workarounds — all stored and searchable from future sessions.

Result: The gradient effect works. Lab successful. :white_check_mark:

Coming soon:
I’m reviewing the MCP server code and will be publishing it on GitHub shortly — so anyone in the community can use it with their own Blocs projects.

This was built entirely with Claude — both the MCP server and the knowledge base system. Happy to share more details if anyone is interested.

“Note: This is my first attempt at something like an MCP server. It’s important to mention this, based on user experience.”

2

Bis Urheberrechtsfragen geklärt sind, benutze ich als Designer, Musiker und Autor keine KI.

1 Like
3

Hey Thanks for sharing your perspective.

I see two types of AI users today:

  1. The lazy one – uses AI to copy, avoid thinking, and skip the work.

  2. The learner – uses AI to understand how something was done, not just to get the result.

For example: I loved the gradient effect on that site. I tried to replicate it myself, got stuck, searched docs and FAQs, found nothing. I could have asked AI to just give me the code. Instead, I built an MCP server to help me find my own mistake (the fade‑in was causing artifacts). AI pointed out the error – but I fixed it, I learned.

That’s the difference: AI as a tutor, not a thief.

I respect copyright and others’ work. But waiting for perfect regulation won’t happen. Curiosity and learning from the community is how we grow. We need a middle ground.

Just my opinion

1 Like
4

Meiner Ansicht nach gibt es nur einen „normalen“ AI-User (außerhalb von Forschungsabteilungen von Pharmakonzernen), den der sagt, Urheberrechte sind mir irgendwie schon wichtig, aber dann doch eigentlich völlig egal.

Dieses Mal werden „nur“ alle Musiker, Schriftsteller, Designer, Künstler etc. weltweit beklaut. Bald trifft es auch alle anderen. Softwarehersteller, Backrezepte-Autorinnen, Techniker, Kinoschauspieler, Redenschreiber etc.

5

You could have asked me how I did it :wink: IIRC, I used a module from Eldar’s Minimalist Library, and modified the color choice. Then I created a couple of opposite gradients to make gradual change back and forth … I could have shared the class(es) with you using the new fancy way of sharing a class in Blocs, where you just click a link. :smiley:

(As for AI, I don’t have much experience, and the abbreviation MCP was new to me. I tried AI, Claude, a couple of times when translating my site, but I wasn’t very impressed with the suggestions it made. And it made quite a few errors.)

6

  • Flips,

    Thank you so much for your response. This is what I love about this community—everyone is always ready to help. I know that if I had posted this on the forum, I would have gotten 100% support. But I was in front of my machine, in one of those moments where you set a challenge for yourself to learn. I wanted to do it, but I wanted to go click by click, option by option, and really understand how to use it. I wanted to learn how to achieve it.

    At that time, I was finishing an MCP for a Plone project. I took on the task of creating—or at least attempting—an MCP to understand how Blocs projects work, to interact with AI, and to explore the options. I managed to do it, and I learned a lot. So thank you again for your great response, Flips.

    Sure, AI can give you a good headache—or it can give you results. My first attempt? The AI gave me a JavaScript solution. That’s when I said, “No, no, no.” Blocs can do it as an app, and I wanted to do it that way. And it gave me positive results. :blush: