An apparatus for decoding an encoded texture block of a texture image, the decoding apparatus comprising: a partitioner adapted to determine a partitioning mask for the encoded texture block based on depth information associated to the encoded texture block, wherein the partitioning mask is adapted to define a plurality of partitions (P1, P2) and to associate a texture block element of the encoded texture block to a partition of the plurality of partitions of the encoded texture block; a decoder adapted to decode the partitions of the plurality of partitions of the encoded texture block based on the partitioning mask; wherein the partitioner is adapted to associate the texture block element of the texture block to one of the plurality of partitions based on a comparison of a depth information value associated to the texture block element with a threshold value, and wherein the threshold value is determined based on depth information values for the area associated with the texture block to be decoded; and the partitioner is adapted to adaptively determine the threshold value by: calculating an average value of the depth information values for the area associated with the encoded texture block; and setting the threshold value to the calculated average value; or calculating a weighted average of the depth information values for the area associated with the encoded texture block, wherein weights used in calculating the weighted average depend on a distance from a center of the texture block; and setting the threshold value to the weighted average value; or calculating a median value for the depth information values from the area associated with the encoded texture block; and setting the threshold value to the calculated median value. a partitioner adapted to determine a partitioning mask for the encoded texture block based on depth information associated to the encoded texture block, wherein the partitioning mask is adapted to define a plurality of partitions (P1, P2) and to associate a texture block element of the encoded texture block to a partition of the plurality of partitions of the encoded texture block; a decoder adapted to decode the partitions of the plurality of partitions of the encoded texture block based on the partitioning mask; wherein the partitioner is adapted to associate the texture block element of the texture block to one of the plurality of partitions based on a comparison of a depth information value associated to the texture block element with a threshold value, and wherein the threshold value is determined based on depth information values for the area associated with the texture block to be decoded; and the partitioner is adapted to adaptively determine the threshold value by: calculating an average value of the depth information values for the area associated with the encoded texture block; and setting the threshold value to the calculated average value; or calculating a weighted average of the depth information values for the area associated with the encoded texture block, wherein weights used in calculating the weighted average depend on a distance from a center of the texture block; and setting the threshold value to the weighted average value; or calculating a median value for the depth information values from the area associated with the encoded texture block; and setting the threshold value to the calculated median value. <EOS>