Is it possible to detect what frame a unit is currently displayed as. For example im trying to detect the direction of a unit so if it was using its down frame it would be facing down and so on.

There are ways of detecting direction. The map below detects your direction and sends a projectile that way if I remember correctly. It only detects north, south, east, and west.
Try this.

Not that it can only detect it if you move, not if you're facing a direction.

ok that helps, and it would be easy to detect a diagonal direction but how would you make the explosions go in a diagonal direction?

Just look at the triggers and adjust them to make them go in the direction you want. I never studied the map but I believe it uses mobile grids. I'm not sure, though.