Software to warp image to match uv layout

I’ve exported a uv image from Blender (2.72) and I am trying to edit it externally by overlaying another image and warping the overlay so that it matches the contours of the uv layout. Presumably that’s a fairly common task in 3d, or so it seems to this newbie. This is the uv layout:


In this case, I want to do this with some precision so the edges of the overlay meet at the left and right uv seams without a discernable join when viewed on the 3d object. I also have another project where I want to apply an image to the curved surface of a torus.

I assumed that it would be easily done in a variety of software, but after several days of trying I haven’t found any way to do it accurately. I’ve tried Gimp, Inkscape, Photoshop CS5, Xara Xtreme and even LibreOffice Draw, and it seems that none of them have quite what I need to do this. While Gimp, Inkscape and Photoshop all provide various ways to warp a layer, none allow enough control over the warping to precisely shape the overlay. In some cases the warping is limited to only four control points, or it works vertically but not horizontally.

I suppose what I need is a 2d equivalent of Blender’s lattice modifier, where I can create as many adjustment points as needed, both around and inside the overlay shape, and move them around until the overlay is shaped and positioned exactly how I want it on the uv layout image.

Is there some software that 3d creators use to do this sort of thing?

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