Gradient Annotator: why so many?

[Roger Breton]

"Historically", when passing a gradient through a series of object, only ONE gradient annotator showed up, as far as I can remember.

Now, I've lost track of that behavior? 

Why am I seeing multiple gradient annotators when I select the objects for editing the gradient?

I must be missing something... Maybe a new Preference? I only need to see ONE gradient annotator for the foud selected objects -- not faour?

This is confusing, to say the least.

[Roger Breton]

I notice through experimentation that, when I make the objects a "Coumpound path" then, "naturally", I get only ONE gradient annotator. 
When I "Group" the object, I get separate gradient annotators...

[Monika Gause]

When this is a compound path, you have 1.

When this is a group, you have 4. Because each object has one gradient.

You can click and drag with the gradient tool to synchronize the gradient, but after you lift the mouse, there are those 4. Also in older versions, at least when you deselected and then selected the objects, there were multiple annotators.

[Roger Breton]

Monika,

I confess I have not used the gradient annotator much "lately" and, to me, the "last time" I used it, only ONE gradient annotator would ever showed up for editing accross ALL selected objects... Shame on me for not having kept track of this important development over the years... 

Thanks for your help and patience 🙂