Surveying instrument and method of providing survey data using a surveying instrument

A surveying instrument 11 is disclosed, comprising: a distance-measuring unit 30 to produce distance data representing a distance between the distance-measuring unit 30 and an object to be surveyed along a measuring direction of the distance-measuring unit 30; a telescope unit 16 to generate image data pertaining to a two-dimensional image of the object, the telescope unit 16 having a defined spatial relation with respect to the distance-measuring unit 30; an interface for receiving three-dimensional-data of the object; and a processing unit 54 configured to: control the telescope unit 16 to produce image data; control the distance-measuring unit 30 to produce distance data; obtain surface data representing a surface 137, wherein a location of the surface 137 is selected based on the distance data and the surface 137 has a shape as defined in the three-dimensional-data; and transform the image data into projected image data representing a projection of the image to the surface 137 based on the surface data; characterized in that the processing unit 54 is further configured to select an orientation of the surface 137 by image processing by identifying and analyzing at least one same characteristic element contained in both the three-dimensional-data and the image data.