Currently I have my block (It has a tile entity) using a custom renderer, basically it should be able to face the 'four cardinal points' so to speak, it also has 4 different textures (one for each wood type). However the meta data only varies between 0 and 3 which is the 'birch + direction' section. Here's the code:

 

The recipes:

	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 0), "xyx", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 3), "yxy", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 7), "yyy", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 11), "xxx", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);

 

The block:

public class BlockWriter extends BlockContainer {

public BlockWriter(int par1) {
	super(par1, Material.wood);
	setCreativeTab(WriterLoader.creativetab);
}

@Override
public TileEntity createNewTileEntity(World world) {

	return new TileEntityWriter();

}

public boolean shouldSideBeRendered(IBlockAccess iblockaccess, int i, int j, int k, int l)
{
   return false;
}

public boolean isOpaqueCube()
{
   return false;
}

    public void onBlockPlacedBy(World par1World, int par2, int par3, int par4, EntityLiving par5EntityLiving, ItemStack par6ItemStack)
    {
        int l = MathHelper.floor_double((double)(par5EntityLiving.rotationYaw * 4.0F / 360.0F) + 0.5D) & 3;
        int meta = par1World.getBlockMetadata(par2, par3, par4);

        if (l == 0)
        {
            par1World.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(par2, par3, par4, meta + 0, 2);
        }

        if (l == 1)
        {
            par1World.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(par2, par3, par4, meta + 1, 2);
        }

        if (l == 2)
        {
            par1World.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(par2, par3, par4, meta + 2, 2);
        }

        if (l == 3)
        {
            par1World.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(par2, par3, par4, meta + 3, 2);
        }
    }
}

 

The renderer:

public class RendererWriter extends TileEntitySpecialRenderer {

ModelWriter model = new ModelWriter();


    public void renderTileEntityAt(TileEntity tileEntity, double d, double d1, double d2, float f) {
        GL11.glPushMatrix();
         GL11.glTranslatef((float)d, (float)d1, (float)d2);
         TileEntityWriter tileEntityWriter = (TileEntityWriter)tileEntity;     
         renderBlockWriter(tileEntityWriter, tileEntity.worldObj, tileEntity.xCoord, tileEntity.yCoord, tileEntity.zCoord, BlockLoader.blockWriter);
        GL11.glPopMatrix();
    }

    public void renderBlockWriter(TileEntityWriter tl, World world, int i, int j, int k, Block block) {
        Tessellator tessellator = Tessellator.instance;

        float f = block.getBlockBrightness(world, i, j, k);
        int l = world.getLightBrightnessForSkyBlocks(i, j, k, 0);
        int l1 = l % 65536;
        int l2 = l / 65536;
        tessellator.setColorOpaque_F(f, f, f);
        OpenGlHelper.setLightmapTextureCoords(OpenGlHelper.lightmapTexUnit, (float)l1, (float)l2); 
        
        int meta = world.getBlockMetadata(i, j, k);
        
         GL11.glPushMatrix();
         GL11.glTranslatef(0.5F, 1.5f, 0.5F);
         GL11.glRotatef(180f, 1f, 0f, 0f);
         
         //Where the texture's chosen.
         if(meta >= 0 && meta < 4) {
         bindTextureByName("/mods/writer/textures/blocks/ModelWriterBirch.png");
         }
         if(meta >= 4 && meta <  {
             bindTextureByName("/mods/writer/textures/blocks/ModelWriterPine.png");
         }
         if(meta >= 8 && meta < 12) {
             bindTextureByName("/mods/writer/textures/blocks/ModelWriterOak.png");
         }
         if(meta >= 12 && meta < 16) {
             bindTextureByName("/mods/writer/textures/blocks/ModelWriterJungle.png");
         }
         
         //This is where the rotation dependent on direction will most likely end up happening. (Obviously not ready)
         if(meta == 0 || meta == 4 || meta == 9 || meta == 13) {}
         
         if(meta == 0 || meta == 4 || meta == 9 || meta == 13) {
         }
         
         if(meta == 0 || meta == 4 || meta == 9 || meta == 13) {
        	 
         }
         
         if(meta == 0 || meta == 4 || meta == 9 || meta == 13) {
        	 
         }

         this.model.render((Entity)null, 0.0F, 0.0F, -0.1F, 0.0F, 0.0F, 0.0625F);

        GL11.glPopMatrix();
    }
}

 

Thanks

		GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 0), "xyx", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 3), "yxy", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 7), "yyy", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);
	GameRegistry.addShapedRecipe(new ItemStack(BlockLoader.blockWriter, 1, 11), "xxx", "y y", "xyx", 'x', dirtStack, 'y', gravelStack);

 

So the first one is for metadata's 0, 1, 2...wait, that's only three!

 

In your onBlockPlacedBy function, you might want to debug-log the initial metadata number and the resulting one to see what's going on.

It's fairly silly, whilst I was making this post it was 0, 4, etc and in my sleep-deprived state I thought it was a mistake, haha, changed it back - I'll have a look into the onBlockPlacedBy method, one second.

 

EDIT: It would appear the recipes aren't doing much, the base metadata (changed the code a little for ease)

        //Set it to base meta then I have a separate variables with + 1, +2, etc.
        if (l == 1)
        {
            par1World.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(par2, par3, par4, meta1, 2);
            System.out.println("Meta " + meta + " : " + "Meta1 " + meta1);
        }

 

The 'recipe' based metadata's always 0.

The 'recipe' based metadata's always 0.

 

Don't know.

Had to use:

ItemStack.getItemDamage();

to get the damage, then add 0-3 dependant on therotation within the block class, rather than getting the block meta data.