3D ANGLE EXTRUSION

[t1.shep]

I'm trying to create a 3d angle extrusion that will allow me to place it in any orientation. When I make the extrusion it will only allow the placement of "flip controls" in plan, which for angle only affects one direction. I also need to be able to flip in elevation, but I can't place controls in elevation. I also can't rotate the angle once it's placed. Basically, I need to be able to control the angle the same way you can control a detail view of the angle (flip and rotate.)
Is there a way to do this? I've just tried creating as a generic model, and a face based model.
I made a similar family, but made two angles (mirrored over a horizontal axis) and used visibility controls to show top or bottom, but that seems messy for schedules and such, since in reality they'd be the same angle.

[t1.shep]

Still struggling with this. There has to be an easy way to create a family that can be rotated. If I have a piece of angle steel in the real world I can take it and place it in any orientation and it stays the same piece. I really can't understand why I would need to create separate types or families of the same piece, just orientated differently or with an angle parameter. For consistency and ease of use I need to be able to say that I have a 1"x1" angle that is 5' long. I don't care if it's placed vertically or horizontally or at any other angle, I just need to know the size and length. I don't want to schedule it and have the type say 1"x1" x 5' vertical, and then another 1"x1"x5' horizontal, and then another 1"x1"x5' @ 42deg.
Does anyone know how to accomplish this? Has anyone tried creating a family using only reference lines instead of planes? Will that allow you to rotate the family?
Is the only option to create a reference line with an angle parameter? If I make that an instance parameter I should be able to rotate to any direction and not have it schedule separately?
Any help, thoughts, ideas?

[greg.mcdowell]

yes, you should be able to get this to work with multiple angle parameters aligned to reference lines - you might need to use a series of nested families for this to work, not sure

[t1.shep]

Thanks for your thoughts. I've tried so many ways to do this I'm not sure what I ended up with. I'm pretty sure I was able to create the geometry aligned to reference lines with an angle parameter as an instance parameter, and then I could rotate to any angle. However, the problem I then ran into was this. I wanted to use a detail component to show higher level of detail in the section (screws and such.) I couldn't figure out a way to align the detail component to the reference lines (since they can't be named.) And, as far as I know, you can't have your reference planes (which I think would have allowed me to align my detail component to the rotation anlge) rotate, which is the whole issue of why the family couldn't be rotated in the first place.
So, in the end, I think I made two families (vert and horiz), but gave it a parameter that would schedule them so they appear the same.

[chris.macko125036]

what about using a structral framing family? There are already tons of angles in there and I'm sure you could modify them if you needed something specific. They can cover all your different angles and the cross section can be rotated.

[t1.shep]

what about using a structral framing family? There are already tons of angles in there and I'm sure you could modify them if you needed something specific. They can cover all your different angles and the cross section can be rotated.

I'll have to take a look at that...thanks for the tip.

[greg.mcdowell]

instead of trying to align the detail component after it's placed try selecting the plane of the reference line first - there are two planes for each reference line 90 degrees to each other - and then place the detail component - it should associate itself with that plane and move/rotate with it