Access to Box Drive Files under Windows when not in Box Drive Cache

We have a database application that creates local directories, copies files into them, and then (after synchronization by Box Sync or Box Drive) locks them with Box API calls, and generates links. It also opens files from either the cloud or from local directories.

We've just started using Box Drive, and are finding that when the Box Drive cache is empty, the app generates an error because the "Filexists" or "Folderexists" functions return an error (somewhat logical, because the files haven't been downloaded). However, simply navigating (in windows explorer) to that location (without opening the files in question) generates enough information in the local cache that the windows file system object now does return an "Exists" result, and the file can be opened from the app (and is downloaded by Box Drive as required).

Question is: Does the API have a way (or is there some other method) of allowing an app to determine that a file exists and should be downloaded by Box Drive even if the cache does not yet contain that file? And is there a way to "convince" windows/Box Drive to execute that download so that a filexists query or file open command do not result in an error?

thanks!