Total station, having - a base; - a structure, which is arranged on the base and is pivotable in relation to the base about a pivot axis; - an aiming unit, which is arranged in the structure and is pivotable in relation to the structure about a tilt axis perpendicular to the pivot axis; - an angle measuring unit; - a control and processing unit; - an electro-optical distance measuring unit for measuring the distance to points on an object, wherein the distance measuring unit has an emission unit for emitting pulsed measuring radiation, which can be emitted by means of the aiming unit, and a detector for receiving the measuring radiation reflected at the points on the object, which registers the received measuring radiation in the form of measuring signals; - a scanning functionality, which is controllable by means of the control and processing unit in such a manner that by means of the distance measuring unit, the distance measurement to points on an object is executable in a scanning manner and registered measuring signals are analyzed by means of an analysis unit and convertible into scanning points, wherein a distance to the object can be ascertained for each scanning point from the measuring signals with assignment of two spatial angles, so that a point cloud which represents the object can be generated from the scanning points, characterized in that - the distance measuring unit is configured in such a manner that the distance measurement can be carried out by means of runtime measurement and waveform digitizing, and - the total station has a program storage unit which provides at least two scanning modes, wherein the at least two scanning modes differ at least in their measuring rate, i.e., in the number of scanning points obtained per unit of time. - a base; - a structure, which is arranged on the base and is pivotable in relation to the base about a pivot axis; - an aiming unit, which is arranged in the structure and is pivotable in relation to the structure about a tilt axis perpendicular to the pivot axis; - an angle measuring unit; - a control and processing unit; - an electro-optical distance measuring unit for measuring the distance to points on an object, wherein the distance measuring unit has an emission unit for emitting pulsed measuring radiation, which can be emitted by means of the aiming unit, and a detector for receiving the measuring radiation reflected at the points on the object, which registers the received measuring radiation in the form of measuring signals; - a scanning functionality, which is controllable by means of the control and processing unit in such a manner that by means of the distance measuring unit, the distance measurement to points on an object is executable in a scanning manner and registered measuring signals are analyzed by means of an analysis unit and convertible into scanning points, wherein a distance to the object can be ascertained for each scanning point from the measuring signals with assignment of two spatial angles, so that a point cloud which represents the object can be generated from the scanning points, - the distance measuring unit is configured in such a manner that the distance measurement can be carried out by means of runtime measurement and waveform digitizing, and - the total station has a program storage unit which provides at least two scanning modes, wherein the at least two scanning modes differ at least in their measuring rate, i.e., in the number of scanning points obtained per unit of time.