svdl: I'm not sure I understand what you mean by freeform deformers. In UVLayout and Wings3D - the programs I've used the most for UV mapping - you can select some elements and move them around in UV space with a falloff radius applied. Is that what you mean, or were you thinking of something more sophisticated?

At any rate, you can find the thread I started here.

-- I'm not mad at you, just Westphalian.