a quick scan of the thread and I didn't see Blender. Blender isn't a mapping software but rather a 3D modeling software like Maya but the price is right - free. Its pretty powerful software with Perl support built in so you can write your own algorithms (if you are so inclined). There are tools that allow for terrain mapping and the animation functionality is pretty sweet. I can't imagine you would use this for 2d maps, but for 3D scenes and fly by films it is good stuff. There is a huge learning curve, but don't let that scare you. There is plenty of support, documentation, and tutorials as well as a vibrant online community. You can learn more at www.blender.org.