How can GPU be used instead of CPU for background processing in a Python script?

Question

I created a Python script that I execute on an Ubuntu server. The script loads a big PLY file (around 100MB), decimates it and smooths it.

Currently, the script is quite slow (around 10 minutes to finish). As my server has 2 great GPUs (Tesla P100), I'm wondering if it's possible to use GPU instead of CPU for this script. If yes, how?

Here is the executed script:

import bpy as bpy
print("Importing PLY")
bpy.ops.import_mesh.ply(filepath="input.ply")
print("PLY imported")

print("Add decimate modifier 0.03")
bpy.ops.object.modifier_add(type='DECIMATE')
bpy.context.object.modifiers[-1].ratio = 0.03
bpy.ops.object.modifier_apply(apply_as='DATA', modifier="Decimate")
print("Decimate modifier applied")

print("Add Laplacial smooth modifier 10 1.0 0")
bpy.context.object.modifiers["Laplacian Smooth"].use_y = False
bpy.context.object.modifiers["Laplacian Smooth"].use_x = False
bpy.context.object.modifiers["Laplacian Smooth"].lambda_border = 0
bpy.context.object.modifiers["Laplacian Smooth"].iterations = 10
bpy.context.object.modifiers["Laplacian Smooth"].lambda_factor = 1.0
bpy.ops.object.modifier_apply(apply_as='DATA', modifier="Laplacian Smooth")
print("Laplacial modifier applied")

print("Exporting STL")
bpy.ops.export_mesh.stl(filepath="output.stl",   use_selection=True)
print("STL exported")

Answer 1

Not an answer re using GPU.

Not sure re using GPU, can however suggest stripping this back to have only import and export operators and use API methods to add modifiers, create modified mesh, remove modifiers, swap in modified mesh.

May not speed it up too much, will if looping multiple imported objects.

import bpy
context = bpy.context
# import 
ob = context.object

#add decimate modifer
dm = ob.modifiers.new("decimate", 'DECIMATE')
dm.ratio = 0.03

# Add Laplacial smooth modifier 10 1.0 0"
lsm = ob.modifiers.new("ls", 'LAPLACIANSMOOTH')
lsm.use_y = False
lsm.use_x = False
lsm.lambda_border = 0
lsm.iterations = 10
lsm.lambda_factor = 1.0
# create modified mesh
context.scene.update()
me = ob.to_mesh(context.depsgraph, True)
# remove modifiers
ob.modifiers.clear()
# swap in the mesh
ob.data = me
# export

Note this is for 2.8. Check the docs for ob.to_mesh(..) in prior versions.

A modified mesh can also be created from object via bmesh module.

If there are materials will need to link those to new mesh too.