Spline modeling like renderable splines, the sweep modifier and lofting all have a checkbox for generating UVs...then you can just throw a UVW XForm modifier to control the tiling.
You could also apply a UVW Mapping modifier and set it to Face (each quad gets a planar UV), then add a UVW Unwrap modifier and relax the UVs (to un-stretch the UVs).
Made a script some years ago that might be useful. It was before textools but i still find it useful. The code is probably dirty, not protected, slow, and terrible and just for me but it does the job.
Select your uvs and hit "replacement" (sometimes u need to hit twice ^^)
It will move all shell bounding boxes on 0,0. Really made that for cases like yours.
Auto rotation : align shells along the longest edge in their outline. You can select all your shells and it will align them.
Manual rotation : does the same as textools and max now. Select an edge, it will align the shell along it.
/!\ angle snapping must be off for both. No way to check that by script so be sure to uncheck it.
Beware though that my Nod32 antivirus reports the download as a possible trojan. There are a lot of really great tools in there though. Contacting the author...
Replies
http://www.renderhjs.net/textools/
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13762052/polycount/UvRotateur.mcr
Category "Noors"
Select your uvs and hit "replacement" (sometimes u need to hit twice ^^)
It will move all shell bounding boxes on 0,0. Really made that for cases like yours.
Auto rotation : align shells along the longest edge in their outline. You can select all your shells and it will align them.
Manual rotation : does the same as textools and max now. Select an edge, it will align the shell along it.
/!\ angle snapping must be off for both. No way to check that by script so be sure to uncheck it.
Select outline : well, it selects the outline.
I was trying to remember where I saw a tool like this, eventually found it. PolyUnwrapper has something called Center And Fit Selection. You click-Shift on the button.
http://www.polytools3d.com/polyunwrapper/help/06_arrange.html
Beware though that my Nod32 antivirus reports the download as a possible trojan. There are a lot of really great tools in there though. Contacting the author...