diff --git a/model_obj/Location3D.m b/model_obj/Location3D.m
index f235653c..76a488e8 100644
--- a/model_obj/Location3D.m
+++ b/model_obj/Location3D.m
@@ -3,16 +3,79 @@
     %   Detailed explanation goes here
     
     properties(GetAccess = 'public', SetAccess = 'protected')
-        anchor_xyz = [DimMillimeter(0),DimMillimeter(0),DimMillimeter(0)];   %Distance from global origin xyz coordinate to component's origin xyz coordinate
-        rotate_xyz = [DimRadian(0),DimRadian(0),DimRadian(0)];   %Angles about global xyz axes to rotate component's xyz axes in radians        
+        anchor_xyz = [DimMillimeter(0),DimMillimeter(0),DimMillimeter(0)]; 
+        %Distance from global origin xyz coordinate to component's origin 
+        %xyz coordinate
+        theta = DimRadian(0);   %Angles about global xyz axes to rotate
+                                %component's xyz axes in radians  
+        u = [0,0,1]; %vector about which to rotate component about
+        R; %Rotation transformation matrix
+        Ux; %internal use direction matrix 1
+        UU; %internal use direction matrix 2
     end
     
     methods
         function obj = Location3D(varargin)
             obj = createProperties(obj,nargin,varargin);            
-            validateattributes(obj.anchor_xyz,{'DimLinear'}, {'size', [1,3]})
-            validateattributes(obj.rotate_xyz,{'DimAngular'}, {'size', [1,3]})            
+            validateattributes(obj.anchor_xyz,{'DimLinear'},{'size',[1,3]})
+            validateattributes(obj.theta,{'DimAngular'}, {'size', [1,1]})
+            validateattributes(obj.u,{'numeric'}, {'numel', 3})
+            
+            %create rotation matrix
+            %first check make sure u is a unit vector
+            u = obj.u/norm(obj.u);
+            theta = obj.theta.toRadians();
+            
+            %obj.UU and obj.Ux are intermediate direction vector dependent
+            %matrices. See wikipedia page for more details:
+            %"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation_matrix#In_three_dimensions"
+            
+            obj.UU = [ u(1)^2,     u(1)*u(2),   u(1)*u(3); ...
+                       u(1)*u(2),  u(2)^2,      u(2)*u(3); ...
+                       u(1)*u(3),  u(2)*u(3),   u(3)^2 ];
+               
+            obj.Ux = [ 0,    -u(3),   u(2); ...
+                       u(3),  0,     -u(1); ...
+                      -u(2),  u(1),   0    ];
+              
+            %creating rotation matrix
+            obj.R = cos(theta)*eye(3) + sin(theta)*obj.Ux + ...
+                    (1-cos(theta))*obj.UU;
+               
         end
+        
+        function transCoords = transformCoords(obj, coords, add_theta)
+            
+            %This function takes in an nx3 or nx2 array of coordinates of 
+            %the form [x,y,z] or [x,y] and returns rotated and translated
+            %coordinates. The rotations are performed about the axis obj.u.
+            %Translation and rotation are described by obj.anchor_xy and
+            %obj.theta. The optional "add_theta" argument adds an
+            %additional angle of "add_theta" to the obj.theta attribute.
+            
+            if exist('add_theta','var')
+                validateattributes(add_theta,{'DimAngular'},{'size',[1,1]})
+                add_theta = add_theta.toRadians() + obj.theta.toRadians();
+                
+                T = cos(add_theta)*eye(3) + sin(add_theta)*obj.Ux + ...
+                    (1-cos(add_theta))*obj.UU;
+            else
+                T = obj.R;
+            end
+            
+            if size(coords,2) == 2
+                coords = [coords, zeros(size(coords,1),1)];
+            end
+               
+            rotateCoords = transpose(T*coords');
+            transCoords = zeros(size(rotateCoords));
+            transCoords(:,1) = rotateCoords(:,1) + obj.anchor_xyz(1);
+            transCoords(:,2) = rotateCoords(:,2) + obj.anchor_xyz(2);
+            transCoords(:,3) = rotateCoords(:,3) + obj.anchor_xyz(3);
+            
+        end
+        
+        
     end
     
      methods(Access = protected)