InChat Image Viewer MCP
The Problem: GitHub Copilot Chat can't see images from file paths—only drag-and-drop works, breaking your workflow.
The Solution: Give AI the file path in plain text, and it sees the image instantly using this MCP.
Why This Exists
What DOESN'T Work in VS Code Copilot Chat
❌ Plain file paths → AI can't see them `` Show me C:\screenshots\bug.png `` Result: AI sees text, not the image
❌ #file: references → Unreliable for images `` #file:screenshot.png ` Result: Empty <attachments>` - AI sees nothing
✅ Drag-and-drop → Works, but manual and disruptive Result: AI sees image as base64 attachment, but you have to manually drag every single image
What This MCP Solves
✅ Plain file paths with MCP → AI sees images instantly `` #image-viewer Show me C:\screenshots\bug.png ` Result: AI calls view_image` tool and displays the image inline—no manual steps
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How It Works: Before vs After
WITHOUT InChat Image Viewer MCP
You: "Analyze C:\test-results\failure-screenshot.png"
AI receives: ``xml <attachments></attachments> <!-- Empty! --> `` Just sees the text path—no image data.
What you have to do: Stop, drag the file into chat, drop it, then ask again.
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WITH InChat Image Viewer MCP
You: "#image-viewer Analyze C:\test-results\failure-screenshot.png"
AI receives: ``json { "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "Image: failure-screenshot.png (124,433 bytes)" }, { "type": "image", "data": "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAB4AAAAQ4CAIAAABnsVYU...", "mimeType": "image/png" } ] } `` AI sees the full image inline automatically.
What you do: Nothing extra—just type naturally with #image-viewer.
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Features
- 📸 Path-to-image: Type the path, AI sees the image
- 🖼️ Multi-format: PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, WebP
- ⚡ Zero-config:
npx inchat-image-viewer-mcpjust works - 🔌 Works with: VS Code Copilot Chat, Claude Desktop
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Quick Start
1. Install (Optional)
npm install -g inchat-image-viewer-mcp
# or use npx (no install needed)2. Add to Your AI Tool
VS Code Copilot Chat – mcp.json: ``json { "servers": { "image-viewer": { "command": "npx", "args": ["inchat-image-viewer-mcp"] } } } ``
Claude Desktop – Config file (%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows): ``json { "mcpServers": { "image-viewer": { "command": "npx", "args": ["inchat-image-viewer-mcp"] } } } ``
3. Restart
Reload VS Code or restart Claude Desktop to load the MCP server.
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Usage Examples
#image-viewer What's in C:\Users\me\screenshot.png?#image-viewer Compare before.jpg and after.jpg in the results folder#image-viewer Debug this error screenshot: D:\projects\test-failures\2026-01-20.pngThe AI automatically uses the view_image tool—no manual attachment needed.
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Supported Formats
PNG · JPEG · GIF · BMP · WebP
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License
MIT
Made with 🤖 by Ibrahim Oguntola
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