--- vtkPLYReader.cxx	2009-10-16 09:37:10.158737421 -0400
+++ vtkPLYReader.cxx.new	2009-10-16 09:33:53.010228467 -0400
@@ -122,17 +122,44 @@
   // Check to make sure that we can read geometry
   PlyElement *elem;
   int index;
-  if ( (elem = vtkPLY::find_element (ply, "vertex")) == NULL ||
-       vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "x", &index) == NULL ||
-       vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "y", &index) == NULL ||
-       vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "z", &index) == NULL ||
-       (elem = vtkPLY::find_element (ply, "face")) == NULL ||
-       vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "vertex_indices", &index) == NULL )
+
+
+elem = vtkPLY::find_element (ply, "vertex");
+  if ( elem == NULL)
     {
-    vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry");
+    vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - Field \"vertex\" is missing.");
     vtkPLY::ply_close (ply);
     }
 
+  if ( vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "x", &index) == NULL )
+    {
+    vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - Field \"x\" is missing.");
+    vtkPLY::ply_close (ply);
+    }
+  if ( vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "y", &index) == NULL )
+    {
+    vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - Field \"y\" is missing.");
+    vtkPLY::ply_close (ply);
+    }
+  if ( vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "z", &index) == NULL )
+    {
+    vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - Field \"z\" is missing.");
+    vtkPLY::ply_close (ply);
+    }
+
+  elem = vtkPLY::find_element (ply, "face");
+  if ( elem == NULL )
+    {
+    vtkWarningMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - face");
+    }
+  else 
+    {
+    if( vtkPLY::find_property (elem, "vertex_indices", &index) == NULL )
+      {
+      vtkErrorMacro(<<"Cannot read geometry - vertex_indices");
+      vtkPLY::ply_close (ply);
+      }
+    }
   // Check for optional attribute data. We can handle intensity; and the
   // triplet red, green, blue.
   unsigned char intensityAvailable=false, RGBCellsAvailable=false, RGBPointsAvailable=false;