transitions on a new "layer"

This question has been driving me crazy since I started to fool around in X and I can't seem to get a straight answer.
Back in the good ol' days of every version of FC that I've worked with over the many years, If I wanted to use a transition on a clip on V2 I could simply drag and drop. This could be a simple wipe, a fade or something more complex. My station that I freelance for gives me PSD files to use for lower 3rds. I edit the text save as a PNG, import to FCP7, place where it needs to be and then drag and drop a wipe and i'm done.
Now comes FCPX and when working with the main story I can edit transitions as I want. However, when I need to have 2 or more layers. (the main story/clip then on top the PNG file, I can't add my swish pan I can only use a dissolve. Whatever I add transitions it effects whatever is in the main story line.

This seems like a simple thing, or am I wrong?
Thanks!

Hi, This is the way I do it but there may be better ways.
Create a secondary storyline by selecting the two clips that you want to transition and then add the transition between them.

Cheers
IanS

What swish pan transition? Most wipes work the way you except. Any transition that animates what would be the adjacent layer will not work as you expect because it will animate the underlying layer as well.

Zoom pan for instance will not work on the title only because it animates the outgoing clip, in this the underlying layer.