VSCode: open files related to a given project on a specific editor side

Question

I am working on a vscode workspace, and in this workspace I have two separate projects that I need to constantly open files from one or the other. The explorer window on the left shows both projects, and were added using the Add folder to workspace... option if it's useful to know.

Now, since the projects have similar structure (both have an api.py file for example), I started keeping the open files from project1 on the left side of the editor, and I'm using the right side for project2. When I open a new file, it gets placed on the side of the screen that I have currently focused.

What I would like, is to know if there's an option to force files from project1 to stay on the left, and files from project2 to stay on the right.

The image below shows what I am trying to accomplish

Answer 1

This issue appears to be exactly on point:

Open files from folders in a fixed editor group .

Unfortunately, it was put on the backlog candidate list and didn't get the necessary votes and so was closed. So no built-in way to do this. Might be a good extension candidate.