AutoCAD Array Command: Rectangular, Polar and Path Arrays
The AutoCAD ARRAY command copies objects into a regular pattern, so you draw one item and let the software repeat it. Type ARRAY, select your objects, then choose Rectangular, Polar or Path. Each type fits a different job: grids of columns, bolts around a flange, or trees along a curved road. To undo an array, select it and run EXPLODE.
This guide walks through all three types step by step, shows how to change spacing, count and angle after the fact, and covers the questions that trip people up most: editing an array, un-arraying it, and getting the old dialog box back.
TL;DR
ARRAY creates copies of objects in rectangular, polar or path patterns, and the result is one associative object by default.
Use rectangular for rows and columns, polar for circular layouts around a center point, path for copies along a line, arc, polyline or spline.
Edit an array by selecting it and using the contextual ribbon, grips, the Properties palette or ARRAYEDIT.
To un-array, run EXPLODE. That permanently breaks the link between items.
Need the old dialog box? Type ARRAYCLASSIC.
Table of Contents
What the ARRAY command does
Autodesk describes ARRAY as a command that creates copies of objects arranged in regularly spaced rectangular, polar or path patterns. Compared with COPY, it gives you three things:
Precision. Spacing and counts are numbers, not clicks.
Speed. One operation replaces dozens of copies.
Editability. In the default associative form the array stays a single object, so you can change the count or spacing later.
In architectural drawings, that means column grids, parking bays, window mullions, balusters, ceiling grid tiles, seating layouts and radial stair details. If you draw these by hand-copying, any change in the design means redoing the lot. With an array, you change one number.
How to start the ARRAY command
There are three routes, and all lead to the same place:
Command line: type ARRAY and press Enter. AutoCAD asks you to select objects, then asks which type you want.
Ribbon: on the Home tab, in the Modify panel, open the Array drop-down and pick Rectangular Array, Path Array or Polar Array. If the ribbon is unfamiliar, our AutoCAD ribbon interface guide shows where everything lives.
Direct commands: ARRAYRECT, ARRAYPOLAR and ARRAYPATH skip the type prompt. Autodesk notes that ARRAYPATH is equivalent to the Path option of ARRAY.
If you are still finding your way around the interface, start with our getting started with AutoCAD guide first.
Rectangular array: rows and columns
A rectangular array distributes copies into rows, columns and levels. Levels matter only in 3D, so in plan work you are dealing with rows and columns.
Steps
Draw the object you want to repeat, for example a single column or parking bay.
Type ARRAYRECT, or pick Rectangular Array from the ribbon.
Select the object and press Enter. Autodesk’s own procedure says to click the tool, select the objects and press Enter.
A preview appears with default rows and columns, and the Array contextual tab opens on the ribbon.
Set the number of columns and rows, and the distance between them, in the ribbon panels. You can also drag the grips on the preview.
Press Enter or click Close Array to finish.
Spacing: between versus total
The ribbon asks for the distance between items and the total distance across the array. Between is measured from a point on one item to the same point on the next, not from the edge of one to the edge of the next. This is the single most common reason a grid comes out wrong. A 600 mm wide tile on a 600 mm grid needs a spacing of 600, not 0.
A negative spacing value flips the direction. If your copies run left when you wanted right, or down when you wanted up, enter a negative number.
Example: a structural grid
Draw one column at the first grid intersection. Run ARRAYRECT, choose 6 columns at 7200 mm and 4 rows at 6000 mm. You get 24 columns in one object. If the engineer later changes the bay to 7500 mm, you select the array and change one value instead of moving 23 columns.
Angled rectangular arrays
An array does not have to run along the X and Y axes. The Axis angle option rotates the whole grid, which is useful for a building that sits at an angle to the site grid. Many drafters rotate the UCS or draw at an angle; the axis angle option is cleaner because the array stays editable.
Polar array: copies around a center
A polar array distributes copies in a circular pattern around a center point or axis of rotation. It suits bolt patterns, round table seating, radial lighting, spokes and fan-shaped stair treads.
Steps
Draw the object once, away from the center. The distance from the object to the center defines the radius.
Type ARRAYPOLAR and select the object.
Press Enter, then pick the center point of the array. Use an object snap such as Center for accuracy.
In the contextual ribbon, set the number of items and the angle to fill. The default fill is a full circle.
Decide whether items rotate as they are copied. Rotate Items keeps each copy facing the center; switching it off keeps every copy in its original orientation, like seats that all face the same way.
Press Enter to accept.
Common polar choices
Items and angle to fill: 8 items over 360 degrees gives 45 degrees between each. 5 items over 180 degrees gives a half-circle.
Direction: a positive fill angle runs counterclockwise by default. Use the Direction setting to reverse it.
Rows: polar arrays can have additional rings. Setting rows to 3 builds three concentric circles of copies, handy for stadium or auditorium seating.
Example: a circular table layout
Draw one chair at a table’s edge, array it polar around the table center with 8 items and Rotate Items on. Every chair faces the table. Copy the finished table and chairs, and you have a banquet room in minutes.
Path array: copies along a curve
A path array evenly distributes copies along a path or part of one. The path can be a line, polyline, 3D polyline, spline, helix, arc, circle or ellipse. This is the right tool for street trees along a curved road, railing posts along a balcony, lights along a footpath or stair balusters following a ramp.
Steps
Draw the object and the path. The path can be an existing line or polyline.
Type ARRAYPATH, select the object and press Enter.
Select the path curve.
Choose how the items are placed. Measure places copies at a fixed distance. Divide spreads a set number of copies evenly along the full length.
Decide on alignment. With Align Items on, each copy rotates to follow the path direction. With it off, every copy keeps its original orientation.
Press Enter to finish.
Measure or divide?
Use Measure when the spacing is a design rule: lamp posts every 12 m, balusters every 120 mm. Use Divide when the count is the rule: exactly 10 benches between two points. If the path length later changes, a Measure array adds or drops items, while a Divide array stretches the spacing.
Watch the base point
The copy sits on the path at its base point. If your tree symbol is centered on its trunk, fine. If the base is at a corner, the whole row looks offset. Fix this by setting the base point in the ribbon or redrawing the source with a sensible insertion point.
Changing spacing, count, angle and alignment
The real advantage of ARRAY is that you can change your mind. For associative arrays, item counts and spacing can be changed using grips or the Properties palette, and spacing and angles between items can be adjusted dynamically.
What you want to change | Rectangular | Polar | Path |
Number of items | Columns and rows in ribbon or grips | Items in ribbon or grips | Items (Divide) in ribbon or Properties |
Spacing | Between columns and rows | Angle between items | Distance between items (Measure) |
Orientation | Axis angle | Rotate Items on or off | Align Items on or off |
Total extent | Total column and row distance | Angle to fill | Path length or edited path |
The workflow is the same every time: click the array, and the contextual Array tab appears. Change a value, and the array updates live. If you prefer numbers over dragging, press Ctrl+1 for the Properties palette and type the value.
The array limit
AutoCAD stops you from creating an enormous array by accident. The MAXARRAY setting determines the maximum number of array elements in one command, with a default limit of 100,000. If you see a message about too many elements, you have usually typed the wrong unit or spacing, for instance entering 0.1 for a distance that should be 100.
Editing an associative array
By default, an array is associative: the copies stay linked as a single object. Autodesk points out that this makes it much faster to adjust the pattern, spacing and location than to change individual objects.
You can edit in two ways:
Edit the array’s properties. Select the array and use the contextual ribbon or grips, as above.
Edit the source object. Type ARRAYEDIT, select the array and choose the Source option. Modify the original item, then save the changes. Editing a source item applies the changes to all array items that reference the same source objects.
The source route is a time saver. If you have arrayed 60 windows and the client wants a different mullion, you change one window and all 60 update.
Replacing an item
The Replace Item option swaps the source object for another one across the array, optionally for only selected items. It is handy when you want to test two window types in a facade without redrawing.
How to un-array in AutoCAD
This is one of the most searched questions on the topic, and the answer is short. Use EXPLODE to convert an associative array into individual objects. Select the array, type EXPLODE, press Enter.
Two things to know first:
It is permanent. Exploding removes the associative relationship. You can no longer change count or spacing from the ribbon. Only explode when the pattern is final, or when you need to delete or move single items.
Undo is your safety net. If you explode and then realise you needed the array, press Ctrl+Z straight away.
If you only need to remove a few items from the pattern, you can explode and delete them. If you need to keep the array editable, a better option is often to edit the source or rebuild the array with a different count.
Exploding a group of objects that include blocks may leave you with blocks, not their parts. For tips on keeping block libraries tidy, see our BLOCK vs WBLOCK guide.
Getting the classic array dialog back
Older AutoCAD versions used a dialog box with radio buttons for rectangular and polar arrays. If you miss it, Autodesk’s support article explains that the legacy dialog is available through the ARRAYCLASSIC command.
There is a catch: arrays made this way are non-associative. Autodesk’s documentation says that non-associative arrays create independent objects that keep no link, so you cannot adjust the count later. Use ARRAYCLASSIC when you deliberately want loose copies, for example when each copy will be individually modified straight away.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The array goes in the wrong direction. Enter negative spacing values, or change the direction setting for polar arrays.
Polar copies are not around the center you wanted. The center point was picked wrongly. Select the array, click the center grip and move it, or use the Base Point option.
Items rotate when they should not. In polar and path arrays, switch off Rotate Items or Align Items.
The array is huge and slow. Check units and spacing. A 100,000-element array is allowed but will slow any drawing down.
You cannot select individual items. That is how associative arrays work. Use ARRAYEDIT, or explode if you are done with the pattern.
Layers and properties look wrong. Array copies take the properties of the source object. If your source is on the wrong layer, every copy is too. A solid layer structure avoids this; see our AutoCAD layer standards setup guide.
Arrayed blocks inflate your counts. If you extract quantities from a drawing, remember that array items behave differently from separate inserted blocks. Our data extraction guide shows how to count what you really have.
Which array type should you use?
Situation | Best type |
Column grid, parking bays, ceiling tiles | Rectangular |
Bolt holes, round tables, radial lights | Polar |
Trees along a curved road, railing posts, lamp posts | Path |
Loose copies to be edited individually | ARRAYCLASSIC, or explode after arraying |
A quick test: if the pattern follows X and Y, think rectangular. If it follows a center, think polar. If it follows a line you have already drawn, think path.
Our perspective
We teach AutoCAD to architects, technicians and students, and the array is a command we see misused in a very predictable way. People learn it, then copy and paste by habit anyway, because it feels faster in the moment. It is not faster when the design changes, and design always changes.
Our advice is simple. Draw one clean source object, with a sensible base point, on the correct layer. Array it associatively. Keep it associative until the drawing is issued, and explode only when you must. That one habit saves more revision time than most shortcuts we could teach.
The second habit is to treat the array as a design decision. Spacing numbers belong to the design, so use real values from the brief, such as the structural bay or the standard bay width, instead of dragging grips until it looks right. When someone checks the drawing, a number can be verified; a nudge cannot.
The third is knowing when not to array. A pattern that looks regular but has exceptions, such as a facade with one door in the middle, is often easier to build with an array and then remove or replace the odd items than to draw by hand.
— Steve
Build the whole skill set, not just one command
ARRAY is one command in a toolkit of hundreds, and it works best alongside blocks, layers, dimension styles and sensible drawing setup. If you want to learn those the way they are used on real projects, our AutoCAD Training course takes you from beginner to expert for a one-off price of €79, with project-based lessons and trainer support.
It includes lifetime access to the materials and a completion certificate, and it is backed by a money-back guarantee. If you would rather see the whole offer first, the S15studio home page lists everything we teach for AutoCAD and Revit.
FAQ
What is the command for an array in AutoCAD?
The main command is ARRAY, which then asks for a type. You can also type ARRAYRECT, ARRAYPOLAR or ARRAYPATH to go straight to one type. Autodesk lists ARRAYPATH as equivalent to the Path option of ARRAY.
How do I un-array in AutoCAD?
Select the array and run EXPLODE. This turns an associative array into individual objects and removes the link between them, so do it only when the layout is final. If you change your mind straight away, press Ctrl+Z.
How do I edit an array after creating it?
Click the array and change values in the contextual ribbon, use the grips, or open the Properties palette. To edit the original item for all copies, run ARRAYEDIT and choose the source option. Changes to a source item apply to all items that reference it.
How do I get the old array dialog box?
Type ARRAYCLASSIC. The legacy dialog is still reachable in current AutoCAD versions, but it creates non-associative copies, so the array cannot be adjusted later as a single object.
What is the maximum size of an array?
The MAXARRAY setting controls it, and the default is 100,000 elements in a single command. If you hit it, check your spacing and units before you think about raising the limit.
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