[FEATURE] vscode plugin option to open claude as new tab in an existing pane rather than split

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When I click the Claude icon in the VSCode plugin, it always splits to form a new pane column. I love my usual 2 column layout, so I have to drag the Claude tab back to the other columns, restoring the 2-wide layout. I would love to elmiminate this extra step.

Proposed Solution

It would be great if there were some kind of option that means "open new claude window in the existing pane, don't split".

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Low - Nice to have

Feature Category

Other

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_