Sadly it’s impossible make it work like it does in Rekordbox and Traktor.
Part of the problem is that Engine puts a write lock on the database while it’s open so it’s impossible to do anything until Engine is closed.
What I can maybe do is allow the app to be run via a shortcut which just updates the smart playlists instead of opening the UI. That would save a few clicks.
Another option could be having tuneup run in the background and automatically update your playlists whenever you close Engine.
At the end of the day though, it takes less than 30 seconds to open tuneup and generate your playlists.