π±–Nucleus scattering cross sections are calculated applying the Watanabe superposition
model with a phenomenological Woods–Saxon potential. The phenomenological potential parameters
are searched for π± scattering from 6Li and 12C to reproduce not only differential elastic cross sections
but also inelastic and total and reaction cross sections at pion kinetic energies from 50 to 672 MeV. The optical potentials of 6Li and 12C are calculated in terms of the alpha particle and deuteron optical potentials.
Inelastic scattering has been analyzed using the distorted waves from elastic-scattering data. The values
of deformation lengths thus obtained compare very well with the ones reported earlier.