@property
    def _array(self):
        if self.vtype == str:
            if self.__value_built is None:
                file_in = open(self.__value, 'r')

                if self.format.binary:
                    header, self.__value_built = Util2d.load_bin(self.shape,file_in,self.dtype,
                                    bintype="head")
                else:
                    self.__value_built = Util2d.load_txt(self.shape, file_in, self.dtype,
                                 self.format.fortran).astype(self.dtype)
                file_in.close()
            return self.__value_built
        elif self.vtype != np.ndarray:
            if self.__value_built is None:
                self.__value_built = np.ones(self.shape, dtype=self.dtype) \
                                     * self.__value
            return self.__value_built
        else:
            return self.__value
get the array representation of value attribute
dataset/ETHPy150Open modflowpy/flopy/flopy/utils/util_array.py/Util2d._array