How can a coder work with a complex ASP.NET project on TFS?

Question

ASP.NET

There is a complex project on ASP.NET MVC, consisting of one and a half dozen libraries, half of which contain .cshtml, .css and .js files, lying on the TFS server. When compiling, all this goodness is collected in one heap through additional operations in PostBuild events. For full-fledged local testing, you need to deploy MSSQL database. Plus, there is a production server to which ready-made builds are uploaded.
There was a need for the services of a third-party layout designer - a person needs to work with js / css files and edit cshtml layouts. However, for full-fledged testing, he will have to deploy the entire environment - install VisualStudio, MS SQL Server ... Not the most convenient position. He would work only with his files, without getting into the source code, without having special access to the database.
Has anyone encountered a similar situation and what are the solutions?
1) The most obvious - to put the studio and the entire harness - I would not want to.
2) Next - deploy a separate test server for it, so that it only needs to connect and edit files there. However, if he wants to work with TypeScript that requires compilation - what to do? Or if there is no network, for example, to work on a traveling train / bus or on an airplane. An additional complication is that someone needs to pull out the changed files from this server and upload them to TFS into a common project.
3) I met on the Internet advice to create a virtual machine with an installed studio, a copy of the database and give it to the layout designer. However, this requires a separate license for the studio (the use of an unlicensed copy is not considered) and the installation of a virtual machine by the layout designer.

Answer 1

This is the problem of the monolith, how will it edit the layout without starting the project? cshtml is not html, the browser knows nothing about razor. I don't think it's possible to do without launching the project. Therefore, either virtualka or locally. You do not want a virtual machine, it means that you can only install the option locally, and you can connect a remote test database.
Our layout designers work on RDP. Minus, of course, binding to the Internet.

Answer 2

I will support options with RDP and a virtual machine.
Separate server - you have the code under control. Virtualka - the developer does not depend on the availability of communication.
When I made up in TFS - the option with virtual machines was in priority.
According to licenses, both the server (if I'm not mistaken) and the IDE have a trial version (Microsoft for development offers to download images of its OS of different versions for free). You can make a snapshot in the virtual machine at the time of installation and roll back if necessary. This is in case of a long development. The same situation with the test server. HyperV helps out.

Answer 3

Conclude an agreement and give access via RDP, put a screen recording on its session, in case of suspicious actions - sue, is it really so difficult. I do not think that he will need your sources, because. I'm 99.9 percent sure there's nothing out of the ordinary about them. Every normal encoder has his own blanks for all occasions.

Answer 4

pixlr.com/editor/

Answer 5

chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/alelhddbbhepgpmgidjdcjakblofbmce
it seems to exist for Firefox, well, at least it still has several analogues for both Chrome and Firefox.