>>> from numpy import *
>>>
>>> mdarray = zeros((2, 3, 4, 5), dtype=int8, order='F')

>>> mdarray
array([[[[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, 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, 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, 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, 0, 0],
         [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
         [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]]]], dtype=int8)
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3]
0
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3] = 123
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3]
123
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3] = 666
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3]
-102
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3] = 255
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3]
-1
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3] = -128
>>> mdarray[0, 1, 2, 3]
-128
>>> mdarray
array([[[[   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,    0,    0,    0],
         [   0,    0,    0, -128,    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,    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,    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],
         [   0,    0,    0,    0,    0]]]], dtype=int8)
>>>