What types of building information are best portrayed in 3D views?

Information on how different floors come together, or the general building envelope looks are best portrayed in 3D views. 3D views are also very useful in giving a high-level understanding the allocation of space within the building/what the user experience might look like. Stakeholders like contractors would need 2D views because they need specific dimensions and measurements to do their work. Stakeholders like city council members will need 2D views for a similar reason - they'll need to see if certain dimensions, ie building size, certain hights, insulation depth, are to code.

Should your design ideas always be conveyed through photorealistic renders?

Designs should now always be conveyed through renders. For stakeholders such as end-users who are more concerned with user experience, renders are appropriate. However, for contractors who have an understanding of how 2D models translate to 3D, renders are not necessary, and they do not convey information on dimensions (and they might actually distort dimensions)

The level of detailing affects things like material properties, as well as brightness; a room that appears too dark or with poor materials can put off user-focused stakeholders

How can schedule views be used to assist with procurement and model-based estimating?

They can be used in estimating cost because they automatically update the quantities of each element as the model evolves. Also, because many components in Revit are connected to a manufacturer, it might be easy to use these manufacturers' products if they are used in the models. This way, a model would contain not only information on the type and quantity of building elements, but would also point to a manufacturer