Tim, you CAN! make the Haas work the way the Fagor does!!!
That's what the setting 56 does!!!
The only problem with that is that you will need to make absolutely sure whenever you start or restart a program (MDI or MEM), it's header contains the default G and M codes the machine is booting up with initially. ( which is why I don't like it)
Nonetheless, I still don't see the difference in using the Work Coord display or the Operator Coord display in manual mode.
If you are in MDI or MEM mode, then you problem is even more curious as you just define G55, G56 or whatever in the beginning and the program will run in that coord.
For example, on my machine G110 is permanently set for the indexer. It's Y and Z never changes. If I manually do something there, I just type G110 G00 X0 Y0 Z1. A0, change to the Oper display, hit Origin on X Y and A, type Z1. ENTER and bang, all my manual moves are displayed on the screen with respect to the indexer.