Create 3D array using Python

You should use a list comprehension:

>>> import pprint>>> n = 3>>> distance = [[[0 for k in xrange(n)] for j in xrange(n)] for i in xrange(n)]>>> pprint.pprint(distance)[[[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]], [[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]], [[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]]]>>> distance[0][1][0, 0, 0]>>> distance[0][1][2]0

You could have produced a data structure with a statement that looked like the one you tried, but it would have had side effects since the inner lists are copy-by-reference:

>>> distance=[[[0]*n]*n]*n>>> pprint.pprint(distance)[[[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]], [[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]], [[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]]]>>> distance[0][0][0] = 1>>> pprint.pprint(distance)[[[1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0]], [[1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0]], [[1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0], [1, 0, 0]]]

numpy.arrays are designed just for this case:

 numpy.zeros((i,j,k))

will give you an array of dimensions ijk, filled with zeroes.

depending what you need it for, numpy may be the right library for your needs.

The right way would be

[[[0 for _ in range(n)] for _ in range(n)] for _ in range(n)]

(What you're trying to do should be written like (for NxNxN)

[[[0]*n]*n]*n

but that is not correct, see @Adaman comment why).