def header(self):
        '''
        Format this element's metadata as it would appear in a PLY
        header.
        '''
        lines = ['element %s %d' % (self.name, self.count)]

        # Some information is lost here, since all comments are placed
        # between the 'element' line and the first property definition.
        for c in self.comments:
            lines.append('comment ' + c)

        lines.extend(list(map(str, self.properties)))

        return '\r\n'.join(lines)

        Format this element's metadata as it would appear in a PLY
        header.
        
visualizer/plyfile.py