So I read in the update notes on 4.7 that you can now edit animations in UE4. Does that mean I could create animations directly in UE4 now, rather than creating them in Blender and importing them?
Yep, that’s possible, but in my opinion it’s still easier to do them in blender + there you are more flexible 
Just open persona and in there you should see a record animation button. Now you can move the bones + save it as an animation
yep, blender is definitely the 3D modeling software to use. Nothing really comes even close to it.
Dealio, any good tutorials you’d recommend for getting a solid start? I’ve been though some of the basics and somewhat understand the tools, but I’ve never created a complete animation and sent in to UE4. I’m also worried about my rigging, how can I make sure its compatible with UE4?
Oh man, I’m switching to teaching Maya at my school next year (industry standard - blerg) and I’m not super looking forward to it. Blender has it’s oddities but man is it robust. They keyboard shortcuts are so much better it isn’t even funny.
Blender is also an industry standard.
And yep, it is robust and powerful. Just like I’ve said, nothing comes even close to it.
By the way, just because something is “industry standard” it only means that most of the people who are afraid of changes and trying new stuff are using it. Big corporations are the worse in that respect.
I was using 3D (total disaster on virtually every front) and Maya (bit better, but next to blender it looks like that rich kid who’ve been told by all his family and friends that he looks like a real soldier if he puts the right gear on ;), standing next to British SAS guy).
Then I discovered blender. My God, heavens opened. In my opinion Blender is the most ingenious software ever created.
Check Epic’s Youtube chanel. There is a video where they talk about importing skeletal meshes from blender to unreal.
I also want to add that I love Blender. 