The 3D extension of High Efficiency Video Coding (3D-HEVC) introduce Depth Modeling Mode (DMM) and 35 conventional intra modes to enhance the quality of coding, while bringing unacceptable computational complexity during the process of rough mode decision (RMD) and most probable mode (MPM). In this paper, we proposed a fast mode decision algorithm for texture map and depth map coding based on gradient information. Firstly, analyzing the characteristics of predict units (PU) in different intra mode applications that obtain the lowest RD-cost,then extracting the gradient information of PU to classify the PU into three types of gradient blocks and selecting appropriate candidate modes for the PU,thereby avoiding search each mode in coding process and skip the process of RMD and MPM early. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve average 30.6% time saving with negligible reduction of coding performance.
