The Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method approximates minimum energy paths (MEPs) connecting minimum structures as a string of discrete intermediate structures ("images"). To perform an NEB calculation, starting guesses for the entire string of structures are required. At the time of writing, most NEB implementations generate per default the initial pathway by interpolation in cartesian atomic coordinates. An interpolation is performed between the two minima structures, potentially aided through a lower level theory or added potential. However, when trying to model changes in bond angles or rotations of molecule parts, cartesian interpolations will often generate structures with compressed bonds or overlapping atoms. Since such molecular movements are common in reaction pathways, these shortcomings of the cartesian approach will often delay NEB convergence, or even prevent it altogether, when overlapping atoms cause the calculations of one or more structures to fail. Methods have been developed to reduce this problem, such as Image-Dependent Pair Potential (IDPP), which performs a pre-optimization of the initial cartesian interpolation, reducing atom overlaps and bond deformations.