I’m missing something here and I don’t know what it is. 

I’ve always left my rotation snap in degrees to 5.0 but frequently refer to the transformation status bar when the snap is off.  In my install of MAX 9, it reads in increments of 0.5 degrees, but in MAX 2009 it only displays 1.0 degree increments.  Which setting governs this tolerance?  I need to be able to rotate on a 0.5 degree setting.

You mean when you click the Spinners it goes by increments of 1.0? If so then that’s the general settings for Spinner Snaps (nothing to do with grids or angles).
Customise > Preferences > General (tab) - change the Snap value to 0.5.

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.

Not exactly.  I have the snap value already set to 0.5 anyway.

Maybe if I explain a little better. 

I have two or more objects I need to rotate 22.5 degrees while the selection is locked and snapping from a remote pivot point.  Type in Transformation is not an option, so I must rotate in the viewport.  The status display snaps to 22.0 and 23.0 only.  Angle snapping is toggled off.  Even if I set the Angle Snap in degrees to 0.5 instead of the default 5.0, it will still only display whole numbers below.

Does this make sense?

Customize, Preferences, General Tab, Spinners, Precision setting.  Snap setting.  Turn off Use Snap.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

Thanks, but I already have that turned off.  It still only displays increments of 1.0.  This has me stumped.  I cannot find any settings different than my MAX 9 install where it seems to work fine.

Right-click the Angle Snap tool button (grid and snap settings) - change the Angle in there to 0.5

This is Max2009 remember - it has that nice new “working pivot” feature. Select your objects and lock the selection. Hierarchy Panel > Edit working pivot and place the pivot where you want it. Turn off the Edit and turn on the Use. Now you can rotate those objects in the viewport, with the spinners or by numerical entry either at the bottom of the screen or by invoking the Transform Type-in dialog.

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.

I really appreciate all this help, but I’ve tried these things.  I feel like I’m losing my mind on this one.

setting the snap degrees to 0.5 and then toggling Angle Snap on still only show whole numbers in the lower display.  There’s something wrong here.

I’ve been playing around with it and here’s what I’ve found.  I should mention, I don’t usually use the Transform Gizmo.

I create three boxes.
I select two and lock the selection.
I toggle snap to vertex ON and angle snap OFF (set to default of 5.0)
In the top viewport, I rotate the two boxes pivoting off of a corner of the third box.
The Z angle only shows whole numbers.
I toggle the transform gizmo ON
I rotate in the Z (not from the vertex pivot of course) but do not commit the change.  Rt-click out of the command.  The dynamic Z value displays the whole range to the 100th of a degree while dragging.
I toggle OFF the Transform Gizmo and try the same thing.
This time the Z value accuarately show the full 2-decimal range of values, but with that annoying as hell reversed orientation when dragging a rotation.

Can someone smarter than me try this and let me know what is going on?  If someone can tell me why activating the Transform Gizmo always messes up the rotation orientation, I’ll erect a statue in your honor.  That one has always bugged me.

Thanks for sticking with me on this.  I really am baffled.

Double check your System Units.  Maybe something is not right in Denmark.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

Nothing I can spot.

1 Unit = 1.0 Inches
Respect System Units : ON
Origin = 1398101’3”
Distance from origin : 0’1”
Resulting Accuracy : 0’0”

Units are US Standard Feet w/ Fractional Inches (1/4)
Default Units : Feet

Can someone try to replicate this on MAX 2009, step by step from my earlier post?

I’ll try tonight when I get home.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

I am not at all seeing the behavior you are.  Open the Preferences Dialog.  Gizmos Tab.  Rotation Increment down at the bottom right.  Is it 0.5?  That panel is explained in the User Help so, read up on that… Gizmos Preferences.

Check to see if Euler XYZ is the default controller for the objects.  Select any object, open the Motion Panel on the command panel, open Assign Controller, look at the Rotation item.  Is Euler XYZ listed?

If I rotate objects as I understand you describing… actually, if I rotate objects in any way, they retain a precise reading of their rotation value.

Did you as yet rename the AutoCamMax.gup file to AutoCamMax.gup.bak?  If not, shut down Max and do so.  Does the problem still exist?

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]