topic Re: Can't close array bug in AutoCAD Forum

Can't close array bug

xiaohanzhang — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 07:33:16 GMT

Had a bug similar to block editor not closing, but this time it's in array editing mode; ironically this is a recovered file. Checked with audit and had no error reported. The file is stuck in array editing mode it seems.

AutoCAD 2017.1

Re: Can't close array bug

swieciakpawel — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 07:51:56 GMT

Hello,

That is interesting, as i don't have any problems with Your array. I can freely enter edit mode, close it, and use other commands afterwards.

Isn't the ARRAYCLOSE command working in Your case?

Perhaps You have an issue with the Associativity, so You might try creating new Array with this function disabled:

If problem is different, please provide some details. A screencast or a detailed description of what exactly happens, how exactly You edit array and how AutoCAD behaves.

Kind Regards,
Pawel

Re: Can't close array bug

Vinayv4v — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 08:15:04 GMT

Hi,

Can you Explain the problem in detail. Because array editing mode working fine with me.

Thanks & Best regards

Vinay

Re: Can't close array bug

imadHabash — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:49:21 GMT

Hi,

Q: does this happened if you activate this command in a new empty CAD drawing?

if the answer is NO...then i suggest to take your 3D model to a new CAD drawing either by Ctrl+c OR wblock and check it there.

regards,

Re: Can't close array bug

john.vellek — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 20:36:20 GMT

Hi @xiaohanzhang,

I suggest that you apply the most recent update to your AutoCAD from your account page.

At any rate, I looked at your file and, as others found too, did not have any problem with the array. I would take the contents of your file and move it to new file to see if that remedies the behavior you are seeing.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Can't close array bug

xiaohanzhang — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 23:14:57 GMT

Sorry I haven't checked back here in a while. Thanks anyway, though I don't really need this file now as I didn't lose that much progress; I'm just filing it here as what appears to be a bug that I never experienced before.

@imadHabash That seems to be only way out of this. As far as I can tell the commands themselves has no problem elsewhere, but it's just this file that's gone bad, even though Audit reported no error.

@swieciakpawel apparently it won't allow that arrayclose command as it seems to forgot that an array has been checked out as arrayclose is offered on the ribbon.

@Vinayv4v why does it seems like the array you had in the pictures were done within the array editing mode that the file is stuck in?

@john.vellek the only update I'm seeing in the account pages are the Service Pack 1 from 2016, though I'm using version 2017.1.1 -- doesn't the 1.1 update supersede the service pack 1?

I've posted a picture of what I am seeing after downloading the file then running an Audit and then the Arrayclose command.

Re: Can't close array bug

Anonymous — Thu, 24 May 2018 14:40:54 GMT

I hit this same bug. I feel like it happened when I was editing my arrays. Then I realized I did one wrong so used undo a few times and somehow I got stuck in arrayedit. If I type arrayclose it says "command not allowed unless an associative array is checked out in source editing state."

The file behaves like it should but visually it appears like it is in the arrayedit command. I tried opening it on another computer and it still looks that way. I tried purge, audit, recovery and still nothing. I tried several tricks I have for cleaning files and none of it worked. It will let me edit other arrays without a problem. So far other than be visually annoying its not giving me any problems.

Re: Can't close array bug

xiaohanzhang — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 03:16:25 GMT

Okay I was doing a list of system variables for myself when I came up with some interesting facts and what I say may be a partial solution--partial as I don't know if the file had gotten some other problems/corruption that is not showing at the moment. I am going to offer some steps/explanation of what I did; if you want to try them out, you probably want to use a test file and perhaps back up all your customization/sysvar/settings in case these steps mess up your acad.

So I was probably editing the source of an array when AutoCAD crashed as the recovered file imply, as during the array source editing all other objects are "faded" and the ribbon has the arrayclose options. What this suggest is that interestingly the variable ARRAYEDITSTATE is actually "saved" with the drawing. You can check this by Edit Source for an array and use the setvar command/lisp which return the value On or 1, but return Off or 0 if you're out of the array editing; and interestingly it's possible to "save" the variable in the drawing by using setvar thru a Lisp Expression (setvar "arrayeditstate" 1) and then a save (you don't even have to have any array selected or in the file!), then compare the variable value for this test file and a new file. Note that you can't set the variable with the regular setvar COMMAND as the variable returns "Read-only", nor can you "save" the variable to the drawing while you are for real in Edit Source (by selecting an array and go edit its source) as AutoCAD prevent those actions and you do actually have a checked out array--it seems to only work with that setvar LISP. Now when I did that house I had no knowledge of LISP so it must have happened automatically and done by AutoCAD somehow, as when I recovered the file the array is probably no longer checked out, hence the arrayclose command won't function and is probably why an audit didn't fix anything, but the variable and the "visual style" didn't get "restored" accordingly. Also it's interesting that this variable can be set like this while some other Read-Only variable will actually return an error saying whatever value you want to set is not possible, and there are other such lisp-modifiable variable (ARRAYCREATION is another one I found that "save" to a drawing) while other similar variable like HATCHCREATION is not saved in a drawing but stick around even after closing the file and fix itself with a program restart or a lisp setvar.

So if you had tried the above and saved ARRAYEDITSTATE like my file seems to have done, just turn the state off with (setvar "arrayeditstate" 0) or create a new array and edit its source; the arrayclose command and its ribbon equivalent (save/discard changes) won't work as no array is actually checked out. And during the ARRAYEDITSTATE the visual style is modified but that may get stuck like mine, which seems to be a "old bug" related to Edit Xref In-place as suggested by this post: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/conceptual-visual-style-faded/td-p/7275097 so just reset the visual style in the visual style manager pane. If you try to do another array edit source it might not fade, and that might be fixed with just a restart of acad at least for me--maybe it's a graphic card issue...don't know. Still, I think it would be prudent to copy the objects to a new file if you can as you don't know if something got "corrupted" during all of the above; as I mentioned before I wasn't too far in my file so I just redrew the things instead of copying the objects--not quite sure if some of my objects was corrupted as well.

Re: Can't close array bug

B-city — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:01:19 GMT

THANK YOU. I felt like I was stuck in the matrix.

Re: Can't close array bug

ssaussy — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:41:42 GMT

Replying to this thread in 2025, but I opened Block Editor on another block and then closed it out and my problem was solved.

Re: Can't close array bug

alexandraT6UN2 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:43:09 GMT

Hi all! I have this issue, but it lets me continue editing my drawing entirely as normal but the array mode seems to be on. I'm scared to continue and then it decides to exit and it will try to array everything I drew after.

It doesn't allow me to use the command Arrayeditstate but it shows as "OFF (read only)"

I'm not sure what to do. I tried entering block editing to exit and entering another array edit to exit as well and its not getting fixed.

Re: Can't close array bug

alexandraT6UN2 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:25:55 GMT

Ok! I found this other thread that ended up being what my problem was! SHADEMODE is the command that had been setup to Hidden instead of the default 2d wireframe mode. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-architecture-forum/model-space-colors-missing/td-p/3357847