I think somebody like you would really love the control and flexibility it gives. Basically, it allows us to paint directly onto the 3D model. So not just complex designs but all the placards (which can be typed as fonts by the way) rivets, lines and detail all paint directly onto the 3D mesh. You have infinite control over height depth for things like rivets, total gloss (roughness) control and so on. It also means we can map far more accurately and with more efficiency in the tiles. The drawback is that it can and does make repainting a journey if you do not have access to the 3D mesh. I'm afraid we map and texture to suit our modeling methods rather than re-painting for workflow reasons so we don't use planar mapping much anymore. I would seriously suggest you start to think about going this way if you are going to continue, your life would be soooooo much easier.